Feb. 11, 2006

Game 1 Box Score: UWM 4; Saint Mary's 16
Game 2 Box Score: UWM 2; Saint Mary's 5

MORAGA, Calif. - After recording 10 hits in its season opener on Friday, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team totaled just 12 on the day in dropping a doubleheader against Saint Mary's (CA) Saturday afternoon, falling 16-4 in the opener and 5-2 in the second game.

The Gaels (3-1) pounded out 29 hits off the Panthers (1-2) pitching staff in the twinbill to record the sweep.

Milwaukee got into an early hole in game two, falling behind 3-0 when the Gaels got to freshman starter Tim Hoy for three runs on four hits. He settled down from there, allowing no runs the rest of the way in his six-inning outing.

UWM got one back in the top of the second inning. After senior Joe Nowicki singled and sophomore Jesse Hart doubled, junior Rob Brockel's RBI-grounder made it 3-1.

The Panthers made it a one-run game in the fourth when Hart reached on an error and scored on another SMC miscue, but could get no closer.

Saint Mary's pushed through for two more insurance runs in the eighth off junior Kelby Mack to end the scoring in the 5-2 decision.

Saint Mary's pitcher Michael Nisco threw the complete game, and got better as the contest wore on. From the fourth inning on, he allowed just two hits to Milwaukee and did not allow a runner to reach second base.

For UWM, Nowicki had two of the team's five hits, while Hoy's line on the mound included eight hits and three runs, all earned, in 6.0 innings. He did not walk a batter and allowed just one baserunner past first in his final five innings pitched.

Milwaukee took a 4-0 lead in game one, scoring three times in the first and once in the second to take the early advantage. Saint Mary's struck for one in their half of the fourth before getting to junior starter Aaron Sorenson in the fifth inning.

Sorenson led 4-1 when he was pulled, but the Gaels struck for seven runs on six hits off senior Korey Keller, turning the early deficit into a 10-4 lead after six innings and rolling from there.

With two outs in the first inning, senior Zak Rivera singled and Nowicki walked. Hart then scored Rivera with a single before Nowicki reached home on an error. Sophomore Grant Berkovitz added an RBI-single to make it 3-0, and UWM added another in the second to make it 4-0.

Saint Mary's went on to score 16 unanswered runs, holding Milwaukee scoreless from the second inning on. They took the lead with four runs on four hits in the fifth and then erupted for five runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh. Senior Leroy Pederson came on in the eighth to stop the damage, throwing two scoreless innings.

No Panther had more than one hit in game two, while Gael Orben Frederick was 4-for-5 and teammate Delaney Gallagher had three hits and five runs batted in for the winners.

The Panthers play their last game in California Sunday, taking on Saint Mary's in the final contest of the four-game series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CST.