March 14, 2008

Box Score

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Nick Wichser had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 12-7 victory over Austin Peay State University Friday night. The Panthers (2-10) recorded season-highs against the Governors (7-6) with their 12 runs and 17 hits in the game.

"There were some situations where we thought we could have executed a little better," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "But, we really had some good at-bats and I don't know how many two-out hits we had in the middle part of the game. It was good to get one and get some confidence and get this thing rolling a little bit."

Freshman Cole Kraft added two insurance runs with a bases loaded single to left in the ninth and also started a 4-6-3 double play in the eighth after the first two APSU batters reached base with no outs in the inning.

"That was a clutch double-play ball," Doffek said. "That was not an easy play to double-up and those guys did a great job ... that was huge."

Wichser, Kraft, senior Troy Vesling and juniors Josh Groves, Ben Long and Shawn Wozniak all had multi-hit efforts at the plate to help Milwaukee snap what was an eight-game losing streak on the season and also a nine-game skid at the hands of Austin Peay.

Kraft and Long both finished 3-for-5 with two runs batted in. Wozniak had two hits and drove in two, while Vesling and Groves had two hits each.

On the mound, senior Adam Ferrell (1-1) got the win, throwing four innings in relief while allowing two runs and striking out three. Senior Matt Holzheuter threw a 1-2-3 ninth. Junior Craig Meier started, allowing four earned runs before coming out in the fifth.

Wichser not only led the team on offense, but also made a phenomenal play in the field in the seventh, running full force into the wall in foul territory to make a catch. After making the play, he also had the presence of mind to throw the ball towards the infield to keep the APSU runner at first before being attended to by the training staff.

"We have been looking for somebody to have a bust-out day and Nick did," Doffek said. "The three RBI's are huge, but that was an outstanding play he made at a critical point in the game where the momentum could have gone the other way. But that was just an extra-effort play."

The game was pushed back twice due to weather and field conditions after an all-night rain in the local area. The contest, originally slated to start at 2:30 p.m., was first pushed back to 3 p.m. and then again to 5 p.m.

Tomorrow's game is scheduled to start at 12 noon, however, check the UWM website for updates since the weather forecast calls for heavy rain again in the area.

Another schedule note made today was the announcement that next Friday's game at UIC, originally scheduled for a first pitch of 3:05 p.m., will now start an hour later at 4:05 p.m.