March 13, 2004

Box Score

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. - Saint Louis University struck early in game one and late in game two to take a doubleheader sweep from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in college baseball action here Saturday (March 13). The host Billikens scored six runs in the first three innings en route to a 7-3 game one win before tallying a solo run in the bottom of the 10th inning to claim an 8-7 victory in the nightcap. With the two losses the tough-luck Panthers fell to 2-4 on the year while the Billikens improved to 6-9.

Saint Louis got to UWM starter Aaron Bushong (0-2) early in the first game, roughing the senior up for fiver runs on seven hits and three walks in two plus innings of work. Eric Mueller and Pat Steinhoff delivered RBI hits in the second inning before first baseman Drew Eder drove home two more runs with a second-inning double to give the hosts a 4-1 lead. The Billikens chased Bushong and reliever Jeremey Leibfried with a pair of third inning runs thankd to a bases loaded walk to Steinhoff and a Scott Peden sacrifice fly.

Senior Sam Jansen, who has not played in the field of late due to a wrist injury, came in to put out the fire in the third and pitched solidly the rest of the way. Jansen was able to hold the SLU offense to just one run in 3.2 innings, collecting five strikeouts while giving up just one hit in his 2004 pitching debut. Offensively, UWM mounted a late charge in the top of the seventh but could get no closer than 7-3. Matt Alexander continued his torrid hitting with a 2-3 showing in game one while Zak Rivera and Brooks Graff both drove in seventh inning runs.

Game two started out as a pitchers dual between UWM ace Ben Stanczyk and SLU lefty Tim Landy. Both pitchers took shutouts into the fourth inning before SLU scored a pair of two-out runs in the frame. Casey Moore delivered a two-out triple down the right field line to score Neil Graser while Bill Musselman reached on an error by Matt Curran, allowing Moore to score an unearned run.

The Panthers got a run back in the top half of the fifth to cut the lead to 2-1. Brooks Graff started the two-out rally with a walk before moving to second on a Curran single. Graffthen scored when Alexander ripped a run-scoring single up the middle. Saint Louis struck right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four more runs, just two of which were earned. Johnny Sweeney delivered the big blow with a three-run, bases clearing double. However, due to an Alexander throwing error and a Jeremy Wilson passed ball, two more runs scored making it 6-1 Billikens after five innings.

Milwaukee continued to battle and got two runs back in the eighth and four more in the ninth to tie the game at seven. Stanczyk started the eighth inning rally with a single and later scored on a Ross McCoy double. After a Jeremy Wilson fly out McCoy scored UWM's third run of the game thanks to a Shane Davis RBI single. The Panthers then tied the game in the top of the ninth with four more tallies. Charlie Reschke drove in the first run with an RBI single through the right side. Then, with two outs, Joe Nowicki drove in a pair of runs with a single before Friday's hero Nicholas Wichser tied the game with an RBI single.

UWM closer Jed Dolske held SLU scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, setting the stage for extra innings. Milwaukee was held without scoring in the tenth, despite a leadoff single by Curran. Dolske began the tenth in fine fashion with a strikeout of Mueller. However, after back-to-back singles by Patrick Valdez and Steinhoff and an intentional walk to John Bridges, Kyle Wort delivered a bases loaded ground ball to score Valdez with the winning run.

Stanczyk allowed three earned runs in 6.1 innings while striking out six and walking three. Dolske took the tough luck loss, falling to 0-1 on the year despite striking out three batters and allowing one earned run in 2.2 innings pitched. Alexander led the hitting parade once again, this time going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Curran added three hits in six at-bats while Stanczyk, McCoy and Wichser each added two hits apiece.

The Panthers will enjoy five days off before heading to Bradenton, Fla. for their annual Spring Break trip. UWM will open play in the Sunshine State with a Friday (Mar. 19) contest versus the University of Massachusetts. Milwaukee will play six games in Bradenton from the 19th through the 23rd.