May 24, 2002

Box Score

CLEVELAND, Ohio - UWM scored six times in the third inning and rode the steady pitching of sophomore Aaron Bushong for an 8-5 win over Butler Friday night at the Horizon League Baseball Tournament at Jacobs Field.

The Panthers (34-18), who have won their first two games of the tournament, advance to a winner's bracket game Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Milwaukee time against UIC. The Flames beat Youngstown State, 3-2, Friday afternoon to also remain undefeated in the tournament. Butler (33-22) will play Detroit Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in an elimination game.

UWM knocked around co-Horizon League Pitcher of the Year John Corcoran (12-3) for seven runs and 12 hits in just five innings of work. It was the second-straight day in the tournament the Panthers beat the one of the league's pitchers of the year. UWM pounded Cleveland State's Jerry Long in Thursday's first-round win.

Charlie Reschke and Dave Pudlosky had three hits apiece to pace the 14-hit UWM attack. Pudlosky has reached base in seven of his eight at bats in tournament play.

Bushong (5-3) worked 8 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. He settled down after a three-run third inning, retiring 14 of the final 20 batters he faced. Matt Freisleben allowed one run before recording the final two outs to seal the game for UWM.

"We faced a good pitcher tonight but we swung the bat well," UWM head coach Jerry Augustine said. "Winning this kind of tournament comes down to good hitting and good pitching, and so far we've gotten both."

The six-run Panther third included six hits after two men were out. The inning started with a Ben Beno bunt single before Troy Doering and Adam Christ struck out. David Michna then reached on an infield single before John Vanden Berg doubled in Beno. Pudlosky followed with an RBI single and Steve Guden singled to put runners on first and second. Reschke then doubled in Pudlosky before Shane Davis rolled a single to right field to plate two more runs and cap the scoring in the inning.

UWM added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Pudlosky singled with one out and Reschke drove him in with a double to left-center to plate a run in the fifth. In the sixth, Ben Beno led off with a single and moved to third on a ground ball and a Butler error. Christ drove him in with a pop-fly down the right-field line.

Butler built a 3-0 advantage in the top of the third inning behind just two hits. Ryan Mueller drove in the first run with a single before Jeff Steele brought home Mueller with a triple down the left-field line. Paul Beck then brought in the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.