March 7, 2009

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team rallied to put the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth inning, but could not complete the comeback in falling to Eastern Illinois University, 4-3, Saturday morning at the Cardinal Classic. The EIU Panthers (5-2) would score in just two innings in the game, but added a key insurance run in the ninth to help seal the victory over the UWM Panthers (3-6).

Down 4-2 heading into the final inning, senior Ben Long started the rally with a walk. Richie Derbak, who struck out four in 1.2 innings for the save, then got back-to-back strikeouts for the first two outs. Junior Tim Patzman followed with a base hit and senior Josh Groves also singled to drive in one and put the tying run at second base. Derbak then induced a fly ball to end the game.

Scoreless until the fifth, EIU broke through for three runs in the frame off three hits. Freshman Kyle Schmidt (0-1), who was making his first collegiate start, had pitched very well up until that point, striking out four in the first four innings.

The Panthers battled back with single runs in the sixth and eighth, with Groves knocking in Patzman after he led off with a triple that missed leaving the yard by a few feet.

It was Groves who scored in the eighth. After a lead-off double, senior Andy Gerhartz followed with another double and traded spots with Groves to make it 3-2 at the time.

Milwaukee ended the game with nine hits, led by Groves' 3-for-4, two-RBI effort. Gerhartz added two hits and stole a base to extend his hit streak to five-straight. Junior Lucas Annen threw 3.0 scoreless innings in relief of Schmidt, giving up just two hits.

UWM is right back in action, taking on No. 25 Louisville in a game that was scheduled for a 1 p.m. CST start.