April 16, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team pounded out a season-high 20 base hits en route to a 10-8 victory over Horizon League foe University of Illinois at Chicago in UWM's 2004 home opener here Friday (April 16). Milwaukee (11-15, 3-2) drilled 18 singles and two doubles on the day and reached doubled figures in runs for the 4th time this season. The loss was the first of the league season for UIC which fell to 21-10 overall and 4-1 in league action.

UIC scored the first run of the game on a two-out base hit by Jordan DeVoir. The lead was shortlived, however, as the Panthers jumped on UIC starter Marcus Goodman for three runs and five hits in the bottom half of the frame. Brooks Graff and Sam Jansen singled to lead off the game while Matt Alexander, Charlie Reschke, and Ross McCoy added RBI base hits.

The Flames tied the game at three in the third thanks to a two-run home run by catcher Justin Johnson. However, UWM scored three more times in the bottom half of the inning to take command of the game. McCoy added his second RBI base hit in the third while fellow freshman Nicholas Wichser drove home the fifth and sixth runs of the game with a single to center field to make it 6-3.

The UWM hit parade continued in the fourth as the Panthers knocked out Goodman (3-1) with two more runs on four base hits. Graff and Ben Stanczyk singled to start the inning which helped chase the righthander. Reliever Zack Paterson was greeted by RBI base hits from Alexander and Reschke to give Milwaukee an 8-3 lead. Goodman allowed 12 hits and eight runs in just 3.2 innings of work.

UWM scored solo runs in the sixth and seventh thanks to Alexander's third RBI of the game and a run-scoring ground out by Blake Kangas. Panther starter Ben Stanczyk (3-3) settled down after the first three innings and allowed just four runs with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. The hard-hitting Flames made it interesting with four runs in the top of the ninth but reliever Jed Dolske got Shane Crowder to fly out to leftfield to end the game.

Eight different Panthers notched at least two base hits with Jansen (four-for-five), Alexander (three-for-five, three RBI) and Reschke (three-for-four, two RBI) leading the way. Johnson went three-for-four for UIC with two runs and two RBI while Mike Hughes added three hits and two runs scored.

The two teams will square off again tomorrow with two seven inning games at Henry Aaron Field. The first game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.