Feb. 27, 2009

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team used a seven-run sixth inning to pull away from the University of Michigan and claim a 19-11 victory Friday afternoon at the Jacksonville Invitational. The Panthers (1-4) pounded out 16 hits to claim their first win of the season against the Wolverines (5-1), who came into the game ranked No. 25 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll.

Senior Shawn Wozniak drove in five to lead Milwaukee to its highest-ever run total as a team against a Big Ten opponent, while also handing UM its first loss of the season. The victory was also the team's first over a ranked opponent since beating #20 Missouri March 5, 2006.

"This was a quality win for our program this early in the season," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We put together quality at-bats up and down the line-up all day. Both teams had a really hard time pitching ahead, so it was great to see us keep putting up crooked numbers on the scoreboard."

Leading 9-7 in the top of the sixth, Milwaukee erupted for seven runs on six hits to put the game away. Wozniak opened the scoring with an RBI-single. After scoring a run on a wild pitch, sophomore Cole Kraft drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the next run. Freshman Paul Hoenecke then came up with a clutch two-out bases-loaded hit, clearing the bases with a double to left center. Senior Josh Groves then drove in Hoenecke with a double of his own to make it 16-7 at the time.

The Wolverines would dent the scoreboard for three in the sixth and another in the eighth, but the Panthers would respond with three more in the ninth to close out the scoring. Junior Tim Patzman walked and went to third on Wozniak's double. After Patzman scored on a wild pitch, senior Andy Gerhartz drove in two more with a double down the left field line.

Down 3-0 after one inning and 4-2 after two, the Panther offense started the fireworks in the third when they scored six runs to take the 8-4 advantage that they would not relinquish.

Helped along by a pair of errors, UWM would also tack on five hits in the frame. Senior Ben Long and sophomore Doug Dekoning each had RBI-singles, while the big hit came in the form of a two-out, three-run home run from Wozniak.

"It was great to see Shawn get going," Doffek said. "He is a big part of what we are trying to do this season, so to see him have a day like this against a quality opponent was great."

Junior Lucas Annen (1-0) earned the victory, coming on in relief of senior Andy Hetebrueg who started the game. Hetebrueg allowed five runs in 4.0 innings, striking out two. Annen threw 3.0 innings, allowing five hits and striking out three. Travis Smith (1-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs (just three earned) on six hits.

Offensively, Wozniak and Long each finished with three hits, with Hoenecke and Groves adding two each. Every starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run on the day. Ryan LaMarre had four hits - two of them home runs - and drove in seven to lead the Wolverines.

The 19 runs topped the previous high of 13 runs against a Big Ten foe, which UWM recorded on two other occasions (3/25/98 vs. Minnesota and 5/1/01 vs. Northwestern).

Milwaukee's next game at the Jacksonville Invitational comes tomorrow, when it faces Akron with a first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. CST.