April 6, 2005

Box Score - UWM 26, IPFW 21
Box Score - UWM 10, IPFW 8

FT. WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team slugged 12 home runs, including nine in game one, to sweep IPFW in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon in Ft. Wayne, Ind. The Panthers (8-12) and Mastodons (12-11) combined for 47 runs in game one, a 26-21 UWM win, while Milwaukee fought back from a 8-3 deficit to take game two, 10-8.

Game one's outcome broke school records for combined runs (47), home runs in a game (9) and was the first time two Panthers hit multiple home runs in the same game, as both senior Brooks Graff and sophomore Nick Wichser each went deep twice, since April 28, 1999. Junior Joe Nowicki also hit two home runs in game two, while also going deep in game one.

Milwaukee took the early 2-0 lead in the first game with a pair of runs in the first inning. Junior Mike Goetz singled to start the game and Graff hit his first home run of the day. After surrendering five runs in the bottom half of the frame, UWM responded with eight runs in the second to take the 10-5 lead.

In the second, the first five batters reached base before Graff hit his second home run of the day, a three-run blast to left field. Three batters later, Nowicki, who led the inning of with a single, hit a two-run home run to cap the scoring. The offense continued, as the Mastodons tallied six more runs in the second to retake the lead at 11-10.

UWM came back with another four runs in the third and two more in the fourth to take the lead for good at 16-11. Seniors Charlie Reschke and Steve Sanfilippo each hit home runs in the third inning, while Wichser hit his first home run in the fourth. The Panthers posted their only no-run inning in the fifth and made up for lost time with nine runs in the sixth.

The first nine batters in the sixth inning scored, ending with back-to-back pinch-hit home runs by freshman Jesse Hart and senior Shane Davis. Hart's came in the form of a grand slam, before Davis followed with a solo shot to put UWM ahead, 25-14. After a single run in the seventh, IPFW mounted a last-inning comeback. The 'Dons rebounded for seven runs, but could not get closer than 26-21.

Graff paced the Panther attack, going 3-for-6 with three runs and six RBIs, while Wichser finished 4-for-4 with four runs scored and two more batted in. In total, 11 players both collected hits and scored, while 10 drove in runs.

Sophomore Rob Brockel (1-1) picked up the win with 5.1 innings of relief, despite surrendering 11 runs on 14 hits. Junior Jed Dolske was the fourth Panther to take the mound, getting the final two outs for his third save of the season.

In game two, Milwaukee once again took a 2-0 lead out of the top of the first. Goetz again led off the game with a single and scored on a double play ball to second base, and Nowicki followed with his second homer of the day. IPFW struck for six runs over the first two innings and after a single run by UWM, took an 8-3 lead with two more in the third.

The Mastodons would not get on the board again, as UWM scored seven unanswered runs for the 10-8 win. The rally started with two runs in the fourth and was capped with five runs in the fifth. Nowicki led off the fifth with his third home run, and after picking up an unearned on two IPFW errors, freshman Grant Berkowitz hit what would become a game-winning, three-run home run.

Milwaukee found more success on the mound in game two, as junior Korey Keller (2-2) allowed just one hit in three innings of relief for the win. It is the second-straight appearance Keller has claimed a win after starting the season 0-2. Dolske pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the day and fourth of the season.

UWM returns to action this weekend with a four-game league series against Butler. The Panthers and Bulldogs get things started on Friday at 5 p.m. in Milwaukee's home and league opener. Saturday features a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., while the series finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon.

Notes: The former record for combined runs in a game was 39, as UWM beat Northern Iowa, 22-17, March 24, 1992 ... Old record for home runs in a game was set April 28, 1999 when three Panthers went deep more than once and combined for seven homers on the day... The 26 runs in game one are the most for UWM since a 27-7 win over St. Peters March 19, 2003 ... Head coach Jerry Augustine now has 297 wins in his career, and needs just three more to become the first coach in school history, in any sport, to get 300 wins at the Division I level.