March 19, 2006

Box Score: UWM 13; Western Kentucky 14
Box Score: UWM 15; Akron 9

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A day after overcoming a seven-run deficit in its win over Akron, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team was at it again on Sunday. After falling behind 13-1 in the third inning, the Panthers (5-8) battled back to within a run, only to leave the tying and winning runs in scoring position in falling 14-13 to Western Kentucky (10-4). Milwaukee opened the day with a 15-9 victory over Akron (5-12).

"We really swung the bats well all weekend long," assistant head coach Scott Doffek said. "It was great to see the guys not give up and to just keep on grinding. Unfortunately, we came up just a hit short in the end."

Down 13-1, UWM started chipping away at the lead. They scored four runs in the fourth, getting one on a double by junior Rob Brockel and three on a home run off the bat of freshman Dan Buchholz.

After adding two more in both the sixth and seventh innings, the Panthers made it a game again in the eighth. Junior Ross McCoy started the scoring with a double that plated senior Zak Riviera and Joe Nowicki. Senior Matt Curran added a run-scoring single to make it 14-12, and after McCoy scored on a wild pitch, it was 14-13 with a runner on. Base on balls by both senior Mike Goetz and sophomore Grant Berkovitz loaded the bases for Nowicki. Nowicki just missed being the hero, sending a deep fly ball to left field to end the threat.

Curran and McCoy ended the game with a team-high three hits. Goetz, Berkovitz, Brockel and Buchholz all had two hits, with Goetz's two-hit effort extending his hitting streak to 21 games, just one off the school record of 22, set by Scott Gillitzer in the 2001 season. McCoy had a double, his first home run of the year and four runs batted in. Western Kentucky was led by Scotty Colt, who went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four runs batted in.

The Hilltoppers roughed up UWM junior starter Robert Michalkiewicz (1-2) for nine hits and nine runs in chasing him after one inning. Senior Leroy Pederson (2.0 innings), junior Kelby Mack (no earned runs in 4.0 innings) and Brockel also pitched.

The first game of the day featured two ties and five lead changes, with UWM using a six-run seventh inning to turn a close game into a 15-9 victory over Akron.

The decisive frame featured five hits, with Goetz starting the scoring with a two-run single that plated McCoy and senior Jeremy Wilson. After Goetz stole second, Berkovitz tripled him home. Sophomore Jesse Hart followed suit with another run-scoring single and Brockel ended the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Senior Jed Dolske came on in the seventh, and after allowing the Zips to tie the game with a run in the inning, shut them down the rest of the way. He earned the win (1-0) with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work. Senior Korey Keller also pitched well, throwing 3.0 innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out two.

At the plate, Goetz led the way with five runs batted in, with three of them coming on sacrifice flies. Those three sac flies came up just one short of the NCAA record of four in a game. McCoy went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, while Hart (2 hits/3 runs) and Nowicki (2 hits/2 RBI) also chipped in. Kurt Davidson paced the Zips with three hits.

Milwaukee was scheduled to head to Manhattan, Kan., for a two-game midweek series with Kansas State, but those games have been cancelled due to the heavy snow that was in the area. The Panthers will return to action on Friday, opening Horizon League action with a 3 p.m. game at UIC.