May 9, 2008

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

MILWAUKEE - Junior Andy Hetebrueg won for the fourth time in his last five starts to help the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a split of a Horizon League doubleheader Friday afternoon against UIC at Henry Aaron Field. The Panthers (18-32, 8-13 Horizon) won the opener, 6-3, before falling to the first-place Flames (25-19, 12-6 Horizon) in the nightcap, 7-3.

Hetebrueg (5-6) threw seven scoreless innings before tiring late in the game, leaving after a five-strikeout performance where he walked just one in the first seven innings. He ended the contest with a pitching line of 8.0 innings and two earned runs allowed.

"It was a very solid start for Andy," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Other than the three walks after the eighth, he threw really well. He threw downhill and kept the ball in play. And, we put up a zero in the error column which we have not done in a while - that was key."

It was a pitcher's duel throughout most of the contest with Hetebrueg facing Derrick Miramontes, the Horizon League leader in earned run average coming into the game. Milwaukee scratched out a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from junior Josh Groves to take the early lead.

The Panthers then followed that up with a five-run uprising in the seventh to put the game away - all coming with two outs. Junior Shawn Wozniak started the rally with a bases-loaded single that plated two and was followed by an RBI-single from junior Ben Long and a double to right center by sophomore Shaun Wegner that drove in two.

Hetebrueg did the rest, working into the ninth before coming out for senior Adam Ferrell. UIC strung together two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth, but Ferrell induced a pop out for out number two and struck out Steve McGuiggan to end it.

Long had a game-high three hits to lead the 14-hit attack of the offense, while junior Andy Gerhartz, seniors Nick Wichser and Jesse Hart and freshman Doug Dekoning all added two each.

Milwaukee fell behind on two unearned runs in the first inning of the nightcap and could never get over the hump. The Flames would add three more in the third to take a 5-1 advantage. Any time UWM would rally, it was unable to get the big hit, leaving 11 runners on base in the contest in falling 7-3.

"We left a small army on base," Doffek said. "That was the difference between the first and second games."

Freshman Cuyler Franzke (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs in 8.0 innings. He struck out four but allowed 10 hits and walked six batters. Don Phillis (5-1) recorded the win, allowing one earned run in 3.0 innings of relief, striking out three.

Offensively, UWM collected 10 hits, led by multi-hit efforts from Wichser (2-for-5), Wozniak (2-for-4), and senior Troy Vesling (2-for-3). Hart hit his 23rd double of the season in the first inning to tie the single season UWM mark (23, Mike Goetz in 2006).

The Panthers get no rest, returning to Henry Aaron Field Saturday for a noon league doubleheader against Butler.