April 30, 2008

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. - Junior Shawn Wozniak hit a three-run home run to give the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team an early lead and senior Ben McClarey gave up just two earned runs in 6.2 innings to help the team to a 6-5 victory over Northwestern Wednesday at Rocky Miller Park. The Panthers (15-27) led 6-1 in the fifth inning before holding on against the Wildcats (16-20), snapping a three-game skid while also improving to 2-0 against the Big Ten this season.

Senior Jesse Hart also made a bit of history, breaking the mark for career doubles when he laced a two-bagger to left field in the fourth, giving him 59 for his career and moving him past the former mark held by Ross McCoy (58 from 2004-07).

Northwestern made it interesting by scoring the final four runs of the game, helped along by a shaky Panther defense that committed five errors in the game. McClarey (1-0), making his first start of the season, stranded seven runners in 6.2 innings and walked just one batter.

He left with two on in the seventh, only to see junior reliever Andy Hetebrueg walk the first batter to load the bases and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Hetebrueg then battled Max Mann through a 10-pitch at bat, striking him out swinging to get out of the jam.

"McClarey threw six and two-thirds innings of really good baseball and walked just one," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "If you don't hurt yourself on the mound, good things will happen. Unfortunately, we made several defensive miscues that really put us in tough situations that we battled out of. We kept pressure on them early and Woz (Wozniak) hit a big three-run home run into the wind. We played from in front and were fortunate to hold them off."

Senior Adam Ferrell was greeted by even a bigger jam in the eighth, getting called on with runners on first and second with no outs. He induced a ground out for a potential double play only to see a fielding error leave everyone safe and a run come across. The next batter hit a comebacker that went off the top of Ferrell's glove for an infield single, also plating a run. Ferrell then recorded a strike out, pop out and then a great play by sophomore Wes Munson at shortstop ended the threat and left the tying run at third. A 1-2-3 ninth gave Ferrell his fourth save of the season.

Wozniak provided the offensive firepower in the third inning, hitting a three-run home run to right center, his third of the season, which turned a 1-0 Northwestern lead into a 3-1 UWM advantage.

The Panthers turned that 3-1 lead into a five-run cushion through the fourth and fifth innings, making it 6-1 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly off the bay of junior Ben Long. UWM accounted for two more runs in the fourth on RBI-doubles from Munson and Hart.

The offense had nine hits, with Wozniak, sophomore Shaun Wegner and freshman Doug Dekoning all accounting for two each. Hart extended his hitting streak to 18 games, Wozniak to 12, while Dekoning added a pair of stolen bases.

"Jesse (Hart) has been steady since day one," Doffek said. "He's just a tough out ... his bat is in the strike zone a long time and he understands what pitchers are trying to do. He makes you work for every out."

It's back home for Milwaukee next, hosting league newcomer Valparaiso University Friday and Saturday at Henry Aaron Field. Game one of the three game set gets underway Friday afternoon, with the Panthers and Crusaders scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch.