May 23, 2002

Box Score

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Geoff Lefeber pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and John Vanden Berg hit a two-run home run to lead UWM to a 7-1 win over Cleveland State in the first round of the Horizon League Baseball Tournament at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

The Panthers (33-18), who won the tournament title last year, will face Butler Friday night at 5:30 p.m. Milwaukee time. Butler defeated Youngstown State, 1-0, Friday night.

Vanden Berg's blast into the bleachers in left field came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and plated Adam Christ, who had singled, giving the Panthers a 5-1 advantage. It was Vanden Berg's second home run in a major-league ballpark this season. He hit one at Miller Park in Milwaukee earlier in the year.

UWM roughed up Horizon League Co-Pitcher of the Year Jerry Long for five earned runs in five-plus innings of work. Long entered the contest having allowed just four earned runs in 50 innings of league action.

In addition to allowing just one run, Lefeber (5-0) allowed just one other Viking to reach third base. He walked four and struck out five in moving to 4-0 against league foes.

Christ tied a career-high with three hits while Vanden Berg and Charlie Reschke each had two hits for the Panthers. UWM had a total of 12 hits, including four extra-base hits.

"We came up with some big hits and Geoff pitched a heck of a ballgame," UWM head coach Jerry Augustine said. "I think the kids were ready to play and were fired up for the opportunity to start the league tournament. It's always good to get the tournament started with a win."

UWM scored its first run in the first inning on a one-out triple by Christ and a sacrifice fly by David Michna. The Panthers added another run in the second on a leadoff walk by Dave Pudlosky and a single one out later by Reschke. UWM's fourth-inning run came on a Vanden Berg triple off the left-field wall and a single by Steve Guden while the Panthers' sixth run came home thanks to a Cleveland State error. UWM added an insurance run on a Christ single in the ninth.

In earlier tournament action Thursday, top-seeded UIC rode the strong pitching of league newcomer of the year Ryan Gehring to a 3-1 win over Detroit. The Flames will face Youngstown State Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.