May 15, 2004

Box Score

CARBONDALE, IL, - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pounded out 11 hits and got a complete game victory from Ben Stanczyk in game one as it split a baseball doubleheader with Southern Illinois University here Saturday (May 15). Milwaukee, now 22-26 on the year, cruised to an 8-2 victory in the first game while the Salukis (21-28-1) posted a 5-4 come-from-behind victory in the nightcap.

Milwaukee controlled things from the get-go in game one, thanks to some timely hitting and another solid outing by Stanczyk. The Panthers never trailed in the game and scored in six of the nine innings en route to the 8-2 victory. UWM pounded out 11 hits and four doubles in the game while Stanczyk allowed just two earned runs in the complete game effort.

UWM quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead with a pair of hits in the first inning. Brooks Graff continued his red-hot play as he led off the game with a single and later scored on a Matt Alexander double. SIU tied the game in the third on an RBI base hit Nick Baughman. The tie didn't last long as Milwaukee scored a solo run in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the ninth to cruise to victory.

The Panthers grabbed the lead for good in the fourth when a Jeremy Wilson single scored Ross McCoy, who doubled earlier in the inning. Milwaukee scored three more runs in the fifth while chasing Saluki starter Eric Haberer from the game. Sam Jansen walked to lead off the frame and moved to second on a Graff single before Alexander was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A Haberer wild pitch scored Jansen to make it 3-1 while a Stanczyk groundout and Reschke RBI single pushed across two more runs.

Southern Illinois cut the lead to 5-2 with an RBI single by Cory Newman in the bottom of the fifth but that was the last rally the Salukis would mount. The Panthers put the game out of reach when a Jansen RBI single scored Wilson in the sixth and a Stanczyk run-scoring single and a Reschke sacrifice fly plated two more runs in the top of the ninth.

Stanczyk improved to 6-3 on the season while pitching his fourth complete game. The righthander improved his ERA to 3.61 while pushing his strikeout total to 86, just five away from the school single-season record. Haberer (5-3) took the loss for the Salukis and allowed six earned runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings of work. Graff led the UWM hit parade with three hits while Alexander and Wilson added two hits apiece.

Milwaukee led again in game two, this time holding a 3-1 cushion after three innings. The Salukis drew first blood on a Greg Andrews RBI single in the bottom of the first but the Panthers quickly tied the game in the second with a Joe Nowicki run-scoring double. The Panthers grabbed the lead with two tallies in the third as Jansen led off with a double and scored on a one-out, Alexander single. Stanczyk followed Alexander with a double to right field which led to an RBI groundout by Reschke.

The homestanding Salukis got one run back in the fourth on a Nathan Boldt solo home run. SIU tied the game in the fifth with an Andrew sacrifice fly before a two-run sixth gave the Salukis the lead for good. The hosts scored the two runs on a P.J. Finigan single and doubles by Tyler Schooley and Josh Markle.

UWM got to within one run in the eighth and had a chance to tie the game but some solid SIU relief pitching stopped the rally. With one out in the frame Reschke singled and advanced to second on a Ross McCoy single. Nowicki collected his second hit of the game, this one a run-scoring single. An error by the centerfielder allowed McCoy to move to third and Nowicki to second, putting the tying and winning runs in scoring position with just one out. However, Tyler Norrick got Jeremy Wilson to strikeout and Andrew Weber struck out Nicholas Wichser to end the rally.

Josh Joiner (3-2) earned the victory for SIU, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings of work. Andrew Weber worked one and a third scoreless innings for his seventh save of the year. Aaron Bushong worked six innings and allowed nine hits and five runs in falling to 2-7 on the year. Nowicki went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI while Alexander notched two hits, a run, and an RBI.

The two teams will play the finale of the three-game set on Sunday (May 16). First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Abe Martin Field.