March 27, 2004

Box Score

TERRE HAUTE, IND. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team used an impressive seventh-inning comeback in game one and a solid starting effort in game two to sweep a pair of seven-inning games from Indiana State University here Saturday (Mar. 27). The Panthers scored five seventh-inning tallies to take the first game 5-4 before scoring four early runs en route to a 7-4 victory in the nightcap. UWM has now won three straight games to improve to 6-8 on the year while the Sycamores fall to 6-11.

The host Sycamores appeared to be in complete control of game one while taking a 2-0 lead into the top of the seventh and final inning. Ryan Bond's single in the bottom of the second scored Nevin Ashley while a Rance Fosdick created the second ISU run with a single, a stolen base, and a UWM throwing error.

Indiana State starter Matt Zaleski worked into the seventh inning having shutout the high-powered UWM offense on just six base hits. The seventh appeared to start harmless for the host Sycamores when Joe Nowicki lifted a flyball to the outfield. However Sycamore centerfielder Michael Miller misplayed it, allowing Nowicki to cruise into second. After a Ross McCoy strike out, infielder Matt Curran promptly tied the game with a two-run home run to right field. This opened the floogates for the UWM offense as the Panthers pounced on Zaleski for three more runs.

Following the Curran longball Brooks Graff delivered a one-out basehit. Steve Sanfilippo was then hit by a pitch which led to a Charlie Reschke run-scoring single. Matt Alexander then ran his hitting streak to 13 games with a run-scoring single before junior Ben Stanczyk closed the furious rally with an RBI single to right field.

UWM closer Jed Dolske made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh before earning his fourth save of the season. Dolske allowed two runs to score on three hits and a balk before getting Fosdick to ground out to Stanczyk to end the game. Freshman Robert Michalkiewicz (2-1) continued his impressive mound work as he earned his second win of the season. The lefty allowed just two runs (one earned) in six innings of work while striking out four. Four different Panthers notched two hits on the game while five different players scored a run.

Milwaukee kept the drama to a minimum in game two, thanks to a four-run second-inning. Stanczyk led off the inning with a single before Ross McCoy was hit by a pitch. Freshman Nicholas Wichser drove in UWM's first run of the game with an RBI single before the big blow of the inning, a three-run bomb by Jeremy Wilson, gave the Panthers a 4-1 lead.

The Panthers put the game out of reach in the fifth with three more runs en route to the 7-4 win. Brooks Graff's double started things off while Reschke drilled a double on the very next pitch. Alexander struck out swinging but the ball got away from the ISU catcher, allowing Graff to score and Alexander to reach first. Reschke then scored when Ross McCoy reached on an error setting up Wichser, who delivered his second RBI single of the game.

Panther senior Aaron Bushong (1-2) kept the Sycamore hitters off balance all day en route to his first win of the season. The righthander allowed three runs on six hits in his six innings of work. Sophomore Leroy Pederson made his 2004 debut, allowing one unearned run in the seventh. Wichser finished the game 2-3 with a run and two RBI while Curran and Stanczyk each added two hits.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday (March 28) with the first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. at Sycamore Field.