March 28, 2006

Box Score

WATERLOO, Iowa - Senior Rick Cavaiani struck out eight in seven shutout innings to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 4-2 non-conference victory over the University of Northern Iowa on Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers (7-10) got all the runs they needed when they jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over UNI (12-12) after two innings.

Cavaiani (1-0) threw a gem, allowing just two hits in 7.0 innings to a Northern Iowa team that was averaging nearly 11 hits a game. He did not allow a run or give up a walk, with the eight strikeouts topping his previous-best of six in a Panther uniform. He was in command from start to finish, retiring the final seven batters he faced while not allowing a runner to reach second base in his first start of the season.

"Rick was outstanding," UWM pitching coach Cory Bigler said. "We needed somebody to get us back on track and he took the ball and ran with it. Eight strikeouts and no walks ... that is how we draw it up."

The Panthers got things going quickly, getting to UNI starter Ben Percival (1-2) for two runs on three hits in the first inning. After senior Mike Goetz lined the first pitch he saw into left center to extend his hitting streak to 25 games with a leadoff double, senior Joe Nowicki singled him home one out later. An infield out preceded the second double of the frame, as junior Rob Brockel laced one down the left field line to trade places with Nowicki and make it 2-0 on the scoreboard.

An inning later, sophomore Grant Berkovitz's RBI-fielder's choice scored senior Zak Rivera to make it 3-0 in the second.

With Milwaukee ahead 4-0 in the ninth, UNI mounted a final rally, scoring two unearned runs before junior Kelby Mack came on to induce a game-ending double play - UWM's third of the game - for his first save of the season.

Goetz had a game-high three hits to up his average to .508 on the season. Nowicki was the only other Panther with more than one hit, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored. For UNI, Curt Bradley had two of his team's three hits on the day, as Milwaukee snapped Brandon Douglas' 13-game hitting streak in the process.

The Panthers return to Horizon League action with a weekend series in Ohio, taking on league-leader Wright State. The first of the three-game series with the Raiders gets underway at 5 p.m. CST Friday.