March 23, 2008

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

CHICAGO, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team had the winning runs on base in the ninth inning of both games of a doubleheader Sunday but was unable to avoid the sweep, falling to UIC by scores of 2-1 and 5-4 at Les Miller Field. The Panthers (3-14, 0-3 Horizon League) and Flames (10-7, 3-0 Horizon League) combined to make the action interesting all weekend with all three games in the series decided by just one run each.

"It was a weekend of three highly-contested games," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We need to execute all three aspects of the game or it will catch up with us like it did this weekend. These types of games are much more frustrating than games in the other direction. We did not execute small aspects during the game and did not use all 27 outs in our favor. They did and they deserved the victories."

Down 5-4 in the nightcap, two walks after two were out in the ninth inning put the tying run in scoring position and the winning run at first for Milwaukee. But, UIC reliever Adam Worthington got a ground ball to the infield to end it, earning the victory in game two after posting the save in game one.

The Panthers fell behind 2-0 after four innings, but flipped the two-run deficit into a two-run advantage with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-2 lead. Junior Ben Long homered and freshman Cole Kraft doubled in a run to tie it at 2-2 in the fifth.

In the sixth, sophomore Tim Patzman drove in a run and another scored on the play after a UIC error to make it 4-2.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth, when UIC came up with the winning tally without the help of a base hit. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases and a passed ball allowed the eventual winning run to score.

UWM out-hit UIC, nine-to-eight in the game, with senior Nick Wichser leading the way with a 2-for-2 effort to extend his hitting streak to nine games in which he is 16-for-33 (.485) in the stretch. Seven of the other eight starters in the lineup had one hit each.

Junior Andy Hetebrueg started the contest, allowing four earned runs in 6.0 innings. He struck out one and walked four. Junior Jordan Herbert (0-2) took the loss during his 1.1 inning outing.

Worthington (1-1) allowed just one hit and no runs in 3.2 innings for the victory, striking out six Milwaukee batters.

Game one was a pitcher's duel, with UIC holding on, 2-1, on the strength of two unearned runs. Junior Brad Lusti (1-2) threw a great game despite taking the loss, allowing the two unearned runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work. He struck out three and walked four. Juniors Tim Hoy (1.1 innings) and Craig Meier (0.2 IP) finished the rest of the game without allowing a run.

The Flames took a 1-0 lead in the third, scoring a run on a throwing error after two were out. They made it 2-0 in the fifth, plating another with the help of a throwing error that gave the UIC runner two extra bases. Lusti worked out of the rest of the jams on the day to keep it 2-0.

Milwaukee's offense struggled against UIC starter Derrick Miramontes (2-0), recording just three hits into the eighth inning. The Panthers broke through for a run in the eighth when sophomore Shaun Wegner was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Patzman's base hit to right. He scored on a ground out, but UWM left the tying run on second in the inning.

They rallied again in the ninth, as junior Josh Groves singled and Wichser doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Worthington came on to get the save, throwing out Groves at the plate on a suicide squeeze attempt and inducing a come backer to end it.

"We'd score eight and give up nine ... we give up two and score one," Doffek said. "It's a cruel game sometimes, but you have to make your own breaks."

Milwaukee plays its first midweek game of the season next, heading to Indiana for a non-conference match-up with Notre Dame Wednesday. Then, it's a return trip to Indiana for the weekend, squaring off with Butler for a Horizon League series with the Bulldogs.