May 22, 2008

Box Score

NILES, Ohio - Senior Jesse Hart had four hits, scored five times and drove in a career-high seven runs to pace the offense as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team handed Wright State University a 20-3 upset in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament Thursday at Eastwood Field. The Panthers (23-34), the fifth seed in the tournament will move on to the semifinals after tying their season-high with 20 runs and collecting 20 hits off six different pitchers for the Raiders (29-22), the second-seed in the event.

"Early in the game we put some pressure on them and scored some runs to get the momentum in our dugout," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "None of us saw that coming. We were fortunate that they lined out right at us several times early in the game that could have gone the other way."

Hart tied his career-high with four hits including a grand slam in the ninth inning, highlighting an 11-run offensive explosion in the frame where Milwaukee sent 14 batters to the plate. Hart actually had six RBI's in the ninth alone, doubling in two earlier in the inning to extend his team record to 26 two-baggers on the year.

"It wasn't Hart alone, we had a bunch of guys that had great days," Doffek said. "Early in the game Josh Groves had a couple of big doubles that put us ahead and we were able to keep putting up crooked numbers. But we had 20 hits, so you have to look up and down the line-up."

Lost in the fireworks at the plate was the job junior starter Andy Hetebrueg did for the Panthers on the mound. Hetebrueg (6-6) won for the fifth time in his last seven starts, scattering nine hits and giving up just one run on the day on Justin Parker's home run in the sixth that broke up the shutout bid. He walked two and struck out six in his 8.0 innings of work.

Hetebrueg came up big when he needed to when the game was still undecided, striking out batters to end the sixth and seventh innings when WSU had runners on second and third each time.

"Andy was really good today," Doffek said. "I don't think it was his best stuff but he didn't beat himself - just two walks - but what he did do was rise up in critical situations and keep the momentum in our dugout."

After taking a 2-0 lead, Milwaukee opened the game up with a five-run fifth inning. Junior Shawn Wozniak plated the first run on a double, followed by a double from junior Josh Groves that sent two runners home. Junior Ben Long followed with his sixth home run of the season to deep left field to make it 7-0 at the time.

The offense just kept adding to the total. Junior Andy Gerhartz led off the sixth with a triple before being driven in by Hart. Senior Nick Wichser then drove in Hart with a double to make it 9-0.

The 11-run ninth inning featured just five hits, with nine runs scoring after two were out, including two on bases-loaded hit-by-pitches. Senior Troy Vesling and freshman Sam Sivilotti also added run-scoring singles in the frame.

In addition to Hart's big day, six other Panthers recorded multi-hit efforts. Vesling and Wichser both went 3-for-6, scoring twice and driving in a run. Long and Groves both finished with two hits and three runs batted in and Wozniak and Gerhartz each added two hits. Gerhartz was plunked for the 21st time this season to extend his league lead.

With six doubles on the day, the team also broke the record for doubles in a season as it now has 145, breaking the mark of 143 set in 2006. Hart also established another record, as he now has 239 at bats on the year, breaking the former mark of 235 in a season. His seven runs batted in were just one behind the school game record of eight and established a new league tournament record.

The Panthers will now play in the tournament semifinals, taking on either top-seeded UIC or sixth-seeded Valparaiso at 6 p.m. CST Friday evening. The UIC/Valpo game was just getting started around 6:30 p.m. CST this evening with UWM taking on the winner tomorrow. Check back later for an update.

UPDATE: UIC overcame a late 4-2 deficit with a five-run seventh inning in knocking off upset-minded Valparaiso this evening by a score of 8-5 to advance to take on Milwaukee tomorrow at 6 p.m. CST.