Feb. 12, 2006

Box Score

MORAGA, Calif. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team battled back from a 3-1 fifth-inning deficit to tie the game in the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon, only to see Saint Mary's score the final four runs of the game to claim the 7-3 victory at Louis Guisto Field.

The Panthers (1-3) out-hit the Gaels (4-1) by a count of 10 to six on the day, but left nine runners on base in their third-straight loss.

Down 3-1 in the fifth, Milwaukee started their comeback when senior Mike Goetz singled and then scored on a double off the bat of sophomore Grant Berkovitz.

UWM plated the tying run in the sixth inning after two Saint Mary's errors and a single by senior Matt Curran loaded the bases. Goetz then followed with a walk to force in a run, but the Gaels induced Berkovitz into the inning-ending double play to escape the frame.

SMC went ahead in the seventh, manufacturing a run without the benefit of a hit. After Mike Harris opened the inning by reaching on an error, two consecutive sacrifice bunts left him on third with two outs. Harris then scored on a wild pitch to give Saint Mary's the 4-3 lead.

Senior Jeremy Wilson led off the UWM eighth with a hit and was sacrificed to second with just one out, but a strike out and a ground ball would end the threat. The Gaels would go on to add three more insurance runs in their half of the eighth inning to put it away.

Sophomore starter Mike Rauwerdink took the loss but pitched well, going 7.0 innings while allowing four runs - three earned - on just three hits. He started the game with three perfect innings, ending his day with three walks and a career-best seven strikeouts.

Goetz paced the offense with a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. He also walked and was hit by a pitch to reach base safely in all five at-bats. Berkovitz and Curran each had two of the 10 hits Milwaukee had on the day.

For Saint Mary's, Delaney Gallagher had two hits and three runs batted in, with teammate Sam Carter adding two hits. Starter Dan Lewis scattered eight hits in 7.0 innings for the victory, allowing two earned runs and striking out five.

Milwaukee has next weekend off, returning to early season action at the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic in Evansville, Ind., from Feb. 24-26. They open Friday, taking on host Evansville at 3 p.m.