March 29, 2008

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Sophomore Shaun Wegner's big day at the plate led the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 12-4 victory over Butler University in game two of a Horizon League doubleheader Saturday at Bulldog Park. Wegner hit three doubles and a home run and drove in four runs to help the Panthers (5-16, 2-4 Horizon) to the split after the Bulldogs (5-14, 3-3 Horizon) won game one, 22-10.

Wegner's four hits and three doubles set new career-highs - the three doubles tied the school record for a game - and his four runs batted in tied his personal best as he extended his hitting streak to seven games. He was not the only hero on offense in the nightcap, as Milwaukee collected 19 hits in the game, including three hits and three runs batted in from senior Troy Vesling and three hits and three runs scored from senior Nick Wichser, who extended his own hitting streak to 13 games in the process.

"Any time you can go on the road and win a league series, it's a good weekend," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "There are a lot of positives we can take from this weekend. Our hitters kept their foot on the gas and really put some good swings on the ball."

For the weekend, the two teams combined for 78 runs and 103 hits in the offensive explosion, with Milwaukee hitting .410 as a team in the three games. The 42 runs marked the most-ever for UWM in a three-game league weekend series and also the most it has scored in any weekend league series since plating 45 in a four-game set versus Detroit back in April of 2001.

Down 2-1 heading into the top of the third inning of game two, the Panthers plated five in the frame to take a 6-2 lead and never looked back. Junior Ben Long hit his third home run of the weekend, a two-run shot that pushed his RBI total for the series to a robust 12. Vesling and Wegner then both doubled in runs before senior John Sarcia added another with a two-out single up the middle.

Butler scored two in the fourth to cut its deficit to 7-4 before UWM would add the final five unanswered runs of the contest. Vesling drove in two more with a single in the sixth before Wegner homered to center in the seventh. They then closed out the scoring in the eighth on a BU error and another RBI-double by Wegner.

Junior Andy Hetebrueg (1-4) recorded his first victory of the season, allowing four earned runs in his 7.0 innings of work. He struck out a career-high seven batters. Junior Tim Hoy worked a perfect eighth and senior Matt Holzheuter struck out two in the ninth to end it.

"Andy did a really good job of keeping them off balance and limiting the big innings," Doffek said.

Game one started quickly in Milwaukee's favor, as it scored five times in the first inning to jump out to a big lead. Wichser started the scoring with an RBI-single before junior Shawn Wozniak doubled in two more to make it 3-0. Long followed with a home run to make it 5-0 before most fans had even found their seats.

Just like that the Bulldogs turned the tide, scoring six times on five hits in the first off senior starters Adam Ferrell. Butler would actually go on to add the next 14 runs answered, taking a 14-5 lead after three complete innings.

Milwaukee quickly made it a game in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 14-10 with another five-run rally. Senior Jesse Hart and junior Josh Groves started the rally with RBI-singles before Long emptied the bases with a triple to right center that scored three base runners.

It was the Bulldogs day in game one, however, as they scored two more in the fourth and six more in the sixth to put it away.

"It was a situation where we did not hit corners and did not pitch down," Doffek said. "They exploited the flat pitches all day. But, you have to give Butler credit - whatever we threw up there, they hit."

Junior Andy Gerhartz led the UWM offense with three hits and also scored twice. Long drove in five runs for the second-straight game on the home run and triple. Hart and Groves were both 2-for-4 as well. Joe Pauley (4-for-5, five RBI, four runs scored) and Kyle McLaughlin (4-for-6, six RBI) highlighted the efforts of the Butler offense.

Ferrell (1-3) took the loss, charged with nine runs and seven hits in 2.0 innings. Freshman Cuyler Franzke turned in another strong outing, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.

Milwaukee will make two trips to Illinois next week to play four non-conference games. First up is Northern Illinois for a midweek match-up Wednesday before taking on Southern Illinois in a weekend series scheduled for one game each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.