April 17, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - The old baseball adage says pitching wins games. However, a little bit of offense never hurt and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team found that out the hard way as it fell 5-1 and 3-0 to the University of Illinois-Chicago in a Horizon League doubleheader here Saturday (April 17). UWM held UIC offense to a season-low six hits in both games but could not produce enough offense to gain at least one win on the day. With the loss Milwaukee dropped to 11-17 overall and 3-4 in the league while the Flames improved to 23-10 and 6-1 in the loop.

Senior Aaron Bushong, fresh off a seven-inning, one-hit performance versus Butler a week ago, held the UIC bats at bay through six innings. Bushong allowed just one hit in the first four innings while UWM grabbed a 1-0 lead. The Panthers scored their lone run of the day in the second thanks to a pair of freshmen. Ross McCoy reached on an infield single and then advanced to second on a balk by UIC starter Ryan Zink. McCoy then scored when fellow newbie Nicholas Wichser drove an RBI double down the left field line.

The two teams traded scoreless innings until the Flames tied the game with a single marker in the fifth. Bushong kept UIC at bay in the sixth, setting up a Milwaukee scoring chance in the bottom of the frame. Charlie Reschke was hit by a pitch with two outs and moved to second on a Ross McCoy walk. However Zak Rivera grounded out to end the potential scoring chance.

Illinois-Chicago finally got to Bushong (2-4) in the seventh, touching the righty for a total of four runs on three base hits. J.P. Moran and Nelson Gord singled to start the inning and Bushong intentionally walked Shane Crowder to load the bases. However, a walk to Mike Bruszer and a Todd Rosinki drilled a two-run double down the right field line scoring the eventual game-winning runs while knocking Bushong out of the game. Jed Dolske came in to retire the side in the seventh but the damage was done. Milwaukee could manage just one base runner in the ninth inning as UIC's Zink (5-2) posted the complete game win.

Sam Jansen went 2-for-4 to lead UWM while Brooks Graff, Matt Alexander, McCoy, and Wichser all added base hits. Bushong allowed just five hits and five earned runs while striking out a season-high five batters in 6.0 innings of work. Zink allowed just the one run on seven hits with seven punchouts.

Game two ended up as a classic pitchers dual with three early UIC runs proving to be the difference. The Flames took the lead and scored the eventual game-winning run in the first thanks to two base hits and a UWM throwing error. UIC scored two more runs, the final two runs of the game, when Mike Hughes lifted a fly ball home run to left field. After that, UWM's Robert Michalkiewicz and UIC's Dave Haehnel kept the opposing lineups in check while registering a large number of strikeouts.

Milwaukee could muster just two hits off the lefty Haehnel (3-2), with Sam Jansen singling in the fourth and Ben Stanczyk singling in the seventh. UWM never put more than one runner on base in the same inning as Haehnel struck out 12 batters in his seven-inning, two-hit shutout. Michalkiewicz (2-3) was nearly equally impressive as he took the tough luck loss despite allowing just six hits and two earned runs with a season-high seven strikeouts in pitching his second consecutive complete game.

UWM will attempt to salvage a split in the four-game series when the two meet for the finale on Sunday (April 18). Game time is set for 12:00 p.m. at Henry Aaron Field.