May 16, 2006

Box Score: UWM 3; Chicago State 5
Box Score: UWM 17; Chicago State 5

MILWAUKEE - Seniors Mike Goetz, Joe Nowicki and Zak Rivera went a combined 7-for-11 with nine runs scored to help lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 17-5 victory over Chicago State on Senior Night at Henry Aaron Field on Tuesday. The Panthers (28-23) scored in every inning of game two, earning the split after the Cougars (5-42) pulled off the 5-3 upset victory in game one.

Playing in their final game at home, Goetz had two hits to extend his current hitting streak to 31 games, Nowicki went 3-for-4 and Rivera added two hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in to help UWM to the victory. The freshman stepped up as well, as Andy Hetebrueg had two hits and a career-best six runs batted in and Josh Groves had two hits and two RBI as well.

The Panthers batted around in both the first and fifth innings, getting six runs in the first after finding themselves trailing 2-0 after the top. Bases loaded walks to junior Kyle Silver and Hetebrueg started the scoring, while Groves cleared the bases with a two-out double down the left field line to make it 6-2.

They poured it on from there, scoring twice in the second and once in both the third and fourth innings before batting around again in the fifth. The Panthers added five runs on just two hits in the frame, helped along by three walks and a hit batter. Rivera and Hetebrueg both had two-RBI hits in the inning.

Every starter ended with at least one hit, with six players finishing with multi-hit games. The squad finished with 15 hits in 30 official at-bats in the contest.

Junior Tom Zimmerman (2-0), who came on in relief in the fourth inning of freshman starter Tim Hoy, earned the win with two perfect innings of work. Seniors Jed Dolske and Korey Keller also saw an inning of action each in their final home games.

In game one, an untimely UWM error set the stage for a three-run home run by Chicago State's Roc Latino, helping the Cougars open up a 4-0 lead in the third. CSU starter Chris Freshour (1-1) kept the Panthers off balance all night, earning his first win of the season while allowing just five hits in 6.1 innings. Kyle Kupiec closed for the save, snapping what was an 18-game losing streak for the Cougars on the season.

For Milwaukee, junior starter Mike Rauwerdink (4-4) took the loss despite allowing just one earned run in 5.0 innings on the mound. Senior Leroy Pederson worked the final two innings in order to give UWM a final chance at the win. The Panthers were able to get the tying runs on base with just one out, but Kupiec induced a line-drive double play to end it.

The Panthers had just five hits in the game, with Silver (2-for-3) the only player with more than one. That was the start of a nice day for him, as he went 3-for-5 with three walks, three runs scored and two runs batted in during the doubleheader.

UWM will conclude the regular season this weekend, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind., for a weekend series with Butler. Action gets underway with a single game on Friday, scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.