April 6, 2004

Box Score

DeKALB, IL - Three outs from perfection and one out from history. That was what University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee hurler Ben Stanczyk went through here Tuesday (April 6). The righthander pitched six perfect innings and came within one batter of the program's first no-hitter in a 2-1 game one victory over Northern Illinois University. The two teams then combined for 24 runs and 24 hits as the host Huskies took the nightcap, 14-10. UWM is now 8-11 on the season while NIU moves to 13-15.

Stanczyk (2-3) dominated the Huskie lineup from the get go, allowing just a long foul ball in the second and line drive outs in the third and fourth innings. Meanwhile, the UWM offense gave Stanczyk the only two runs he would need in the first inning. Brooks Graff led off the game with a single to right and then moved to second on a Matt Curran walk. Matt Alexander then hit drove home Graff when he hit reached on an error by NIU's Josh Owens. Ross McCoy then drove home Alexander with an RBI groundout.

The two runs were all Stanczyk would need as he pitched UWM's first complete game of the season and his first complete game of his career. The righthander entered the sixth inning having shut down 18 straight batters before Jeremy Busch reached on an error by shortstop Nicholas Wichser. Stanczyk then got Eric Sansouci and Rob Marconi to fly out to keep the no-no intact. However Scott Simon drove a 2-2 pitch back up the middle for a clean base hit. Mike Hochhauser then ripped an RBI single to bring the Huskies to within one but Stanczyk struck out Jake Blair for the third time to end the game.

"I'm both happy and sad for Ben all at the same time," UWM head coach Jerry Augustine said. "He just threw the ball really well today. I feel bad for him because he was so close to something special. But that is what makes baseball so great. He nearly has a perfect game and then he had to hold on for a 2-1 win. I'm really proud of the way he pitched."

Stanczyk allowed no earned runs and the two hits while striking out none and walking zero. Matt Steiger (0-1) allowed one run on four hits and two walks in 3.1 innings. Graff, Alexander, McCoy, Zak Rivera, and Charlie Reschke each went 1-3 in the victory.

Game two proved to be the antithesis of the first one as the two teams combined to nearly quadruple the first game's hit total. UWM jumped out to an early 4-0 lead through two innings thanks in large part to Graff. The Panther leadoff hitter continued his fine play as he scored the game's first run on a Stanczyk groundout in the first inning. The catcher then added three more runs when he drove a three-run home run to right field in the second.

The lead was shortlived, however as some shotty UWM defense and clutch Huskie swings plated eight runs in the bottom of the second. The big blow came when Simon lifted a wind blown grand slam to left field to make it 7-4. Hochhauser then blasted a solo home run on the next pitch making it 8-4 NIU. Aaron Bushong was the tough luck Panther hurler as just one of the eight runs were earned due to two errors in the inning.

Northern Illinois continued the onslaught in the third with four more runs. Rob Marconi hit a two-run home run in the frame while Jeremy Busch and Eric Sansouci added RBI's. Milwaukee continued to battle back and cut the lead to six, 12-6, with two runs in the fourth inning. Charlie Reschke delivered an RBI double before Stanczyk drove in another run with a ground out.

The Panthers scored three more runs in the fifth to bring the score to 12-9. Jeremy Wilson walked and Curran singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Wichser then drove home Wilson with RBI single to right and when the rightfielder airmailed a throw home, Curran advanced to the plate and Wichser moved to third. Graff then continued the rally with an RBI base hit to left, giving him four RBI on the day.

However, UWM could get just one more run the rest of the game and the comeback fell three runs short. Bushong fell to 1-3 as he allowed 12 runs, four earned, on ten hits and a walk in three innings. Jed Dolske and Leroy Pederson provided solid relief as the righthanders combined for six strikeouts and just three hits allowed in three innings of work. Josh Goodwin (2-0) worked 2.1 innings of relief for the Huskie win.

Graff finished the game 3-4 with three runs scored and three RBI, including his fourth long ball of the year. Wichser also went 3-4 with three runs and an RBI. Stanczyk followed up his strong pitching performance with his three RBI and his fourth jack of the season while McCoy added two base hits.

Milwaukee will head to Indianapolis, Ind. this weekend for the its Horizon League opener. UWM will play Butler University in a four-game series with game one scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Bulldogs Park on the BU campus.