May 2, 2008

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Valparaiso University scored seven runs in the eighth inning and then held on to hand the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team a 7-6 defeat Friday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field. The Panthers (15-28, 6-11 Horizon) led 4-0 before the start of the eighth and had limited the Crusaders (15-27, 6-8 Horizon) to just four hits through the first seven innings before they exploded for the seven-run outburst to escape with the league victory. The loss was the 11th one-run decision UWM has suffered this season.

Milwaukee rallied in the ninth inning, putting runners on second and third with no outs when freshman Doug Dekoning led off with a hit and advanced to third when junior Andy Gerhartz reached on a fielding error. Senior Jesse Hart plated a run on a ground out, as did senior Nick Wichser, but Jared Miller was able to retire the potential tying run on a fly ball to record his sixth save of the season.

Junior Brad Lusti had been in control all game, facing four or fewer batters in five innings of his start and allowing just four hits through seven. He gave up three-straight singles to Valpo to start the eighth and was relived after working seven-plus, striking out three while being charged with two earned runs.

Junior Craig Meier (3-3) was tagged with the loss, working just one-third of an inning. The Milwaukee defense did not help out, as three errors on the day led to only two of the seven VU runs being earned.

The Panthers had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, scoring once on a Valparaiso error and again on a single from junior Ben Long. They made it 3-0 in the fourth when junior Josh Groves scored on a wild pitch and extended it to 4-0 in the sixth on Long's RBI-double to left center.

Milwaukee had eight hits in the game, but the Crusader pitching staff ended Hart's career-best 18-game hitting streak. Junior Shawn Wozniak did extend his hit streak to 13 games with a double and Dekoning continued his red-hot stretch with a 3-for-4 day, giving him 20 hits in his last 36 at bats.

Zach Rodeghero, the leading hitter in the Horizon League at .446 entering the game, went 2-for-5 to extend his hit streak to 22 games.

These two teams return to action at Henry Aaron Field Saturday with a doubleheader slated for a noon start.