April 15, 2007

Game 1: UWM 3; YSU 0
Game 2: UWM 2; YSU 3

MILWAUKEE - Senior Robert Michalkiewicz threw his second-consecutive shutout to help the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a doubleheader split with Youngstown State University on Sunday. Michalkiewicz extended his scoreless-innings streak to 19 as the Panthers (7-20, 6-6 Horizon) beat the Penguins (11-20, 4-8 Horizon) in the opener, 3-0.

Milwaukee's late rally came up just short in game two, as UWM left the tying run at second base after scoring once in the ninth in falling, 3-2. Junior Dan Luczak struck out a season-high nine batters, but YSU scored two runs in the first and held on.

"You can't complain about the effort, both guys gave us an opportunity to win," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Mick (Michalkiewicz) did not have his best stuff today but really battled and made tough pitches in key situations. To throw a shutout on any day is good, but to do it when you don't have your best stuff is impressive."

Michalkiewicz (3-3) established a new school record in the process with his 19-straight scoreless innings, breaking the former mark of 17.0 held by Aaron Bushong (May 12-20, 2001) and became the first pitcher in UWM's NCAA Division I history to throw complete-game shutouts in back-to-back starts. He did not walk a batter for the third-straight start and the defense played well behind him. He struck out three, got 15 ground ball outs and the defense turned three double plays to back him. Sophomore catcher Josh Groves also threw out two would-be base stealers.

Lucas Engle (3-3) took the loss despite the complete-game effort.

The Penguins loaded the bases in the fourth with three-straight hits, but Michalkiewicz struck out the next batter and induced a double-play grounder to get out of the jam. No other YSU base runner reached second until there were two outs in the ninth.

Milwaukee tallied a run in each of the first two innings. Junior Jesse Hart plated senior Kyle Silver in the first after Silver led off the game with a double. Senior Ross McCoy's double in the second made it 2-0 and they would add another run on a passed ball in the fourth to make it 3-0. UWM finished with eight hits in the game, with Groves a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.

Luczak (2-6) threw well in game two, but two runs in the first for YSU gave them the jump start. Luczak went eight+ innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs along with those nine strikeouts.

Down 2-0 after one, senior Rob Brockel cut the lead in half with his third home run of the season, a shot to left in the third that made it 2-1. The Penguins got an important insurance run in the fourth when they successfully pulled off a double steal.

"The defense was very sound and the pitching was good," Doffek said. "We just did not get enough two-out hits to win two games. We're not stringing hits, so if you don't get the two-out hits, it's going to be hard to score runs."

YSU's Adam Kalafos (3-5) limited UWM to just four hits in 7.1 innings, while Andrew Svitak pitched a shaky ninth for his fifth save.

McCoy singled to start the inning and a fielding error put another runner on. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. After sophomore Shawn Wozniak drew a pinch-hit walk to load the bases, Silver drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Svitak induced a ground ball to end the threat there.

Hart ended the game with two of Milwaukee's five hits. No Youngstown player finished with more than one.

The Panthers continue their homestand Tuesday, hosting the University of Illinois at Chicago at 2 p.m. at Henry Aaron Field.