Feb. 19, 2007

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Junior Troy Vesling and sophomore Andy Hetebrueg combined for five hits in seven at-bats, but the Arkansas pitching staff silenced the rest of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team's lineup in defeating it by a final score of 8-1 on Monday. The Razorbacks (7-2) continue their climb in the Top 10 nationally - moving from No. 6 to No. 5 - by completing the three-game sweep of the Panthers (0-3).

"When you schedule these types of games, it is going to be a challenge at any time during the season," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "But, for us, it's even tougher with it being the first time we have been outside this season. We came to compete, and I thought that we definitely did that for the most part. If we are looking to get to regionals and beyond, we can use this weekend as a benchmark to see where we are thin and where we need to improve."

Scoreless until the bottom of the third, the Razorbacks struck first with two unearned runs off UWM starter Mike Rauwerdink (0-1). Two errors and a wild pitch combined with just one hit to put Milwaukee behind 2-0.

Arkansas continued to add to its lead, scoring at least a run in each of the fourth through seventh innings. The Panthers did take the shutout off the board in the seventh, when Vesling singled and came around the bases on a passed ball, wild pitch and a throwing error.

Rauwerdink went five innings, allowing three earned runs with two walks and one strikeout. Dallas Keuchel earned the win, throwing five scoreless innings for Arkansas.

Hetebrueg went 3-for-4 on the day to finish at .714 (five-for-seven) for the series. Vesling finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, marking his first hits in a Panther uniform after the transfer from MATC redshirted last season. Junior Nick Wichser and sophomore Jesse Hart also had base hits for Milwaukee.

The team is off for the rest of the month but the challenging schedule will continue. UWM heads to Lexington, Ky., March 2-4 to take on a Kentucky squad that is 3-0 and currently ranked No. 26.