March 20, 2004

Box Score

BRADENTON, FLA. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team pounded out 12 base hits and hit three home runs but it wasn't enough as it dropped a tough 11-10 decision to Indiana University here Saturday (March 20). UWM, 3-6 on the season, overcame a three-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth but the red-hot Hoosiers (11-7) clinched the win with a single tally in the bottom of the ninth.

Indiana opened the scoring in the bottom of the first and went up 2-0 with a pair of tallies. UWM came right back in the second to tie the game when Ross McCoy hammered his third home run of the season, scoring Joe Nowicki who led off the inning with a walk. The Hoosiers appeared to break the game open in the fourth when a four-run rally gave them a 6-2 cushion. The four- run fourth chased UWM starter Aaron Bushong who allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings of work.

The Panthers chipped away at the lead in the top of the fifth thanks to another long ball. Second baseman Charlie Reschke provided the pop this time when his first home run of the year cut the lead to 6-4. The Milwaukee bats remained on fire as a five-run rally in the fifth inning gave UWM a 9-6 lead. Nowicki continue his fine play as he led off the inning with a double before scoring on an IU error. Robert Michalkiewicz continued the inning with a walk before catcher Jeremy Wilson delivered a three-run homer, his first bomb of the season. Milwaukee added to the lead with two outs when Zak Rivera's single scored shortstop Steve Sanfilippo.

Unfortunately for UWM the lead didn't last as Indiana quickly went back on top with a four-run sixth inning. The big blow of the frame came when Joe Kemp delivered a two-run home run to right field off Panther reliever Jeremy Leibfried.

Down 10-9, UWM made one last push to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Matt Alexander singled to lead off the inning while extending his hitting streak to nine games. Then, with two outs, Nowicki walked to keep the inning alive. McCoy then delivered the game-tying hit when his two-out, two-strike single tied the game at 10. However Indiana quickly won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Kemp and Seth Bynum hit back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the ninth for the 11-10 victory.

Leibfried (0-1) took the loss for UWM as he surrendered five runs runs on seven hits in four innings of work. Adam Pegg worked four innings of relief to earn the win for IU. All nine Milwaukee batters notched at least one base hit with McCoy, Rivera, and Nowicki each registering two base hits. Wilson drove in a career-high four runs while McCoy added three RBI with Nowicki scoring three times.

The Panthers will return to action Sunday (March 21) morning when they face Dartmouth College. The UWM-Dartmouth game is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.