March 7, 2009

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville scored five runs in the seventh inning to complete a stunning comeback in handing the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team an 8-7 defeat Saturday afternoon at the Cardinal Classic. The Panthers (3-7) held leads of 6-0 and 7-3 against the Cardinals (7-4), a team that was ranked No. 8 in the preseason and came into action today at No. 25 in the poll.

Milwaukee left five runners on base in the final two innings and went 2-for-11 with two outs on the day. For the second time on Saturday, it had the winning run on base late, but could not find a way to get the equalizer across the plate.

"In both games today it really affected us," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We talk about two-out hits being the key to any college baseball game. And today, we just could not get that big two-out hit. You have to give them credit for making the pitches, but we just could not get over the hump with a two-out hit."

Junior Shaun Wegner and freshman Paul Hoenecke singled in the ninth with one out. After a strikeout, senior Shawn Wozniak walked to load the bases. Thomas Royse then induced a ground-out to end the game for his second save of the year. UWM also had the tying run at third in the eighth, but Royse recorded another strikeout to end the rally.

The Panthers led 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh before the Cardinal rally started, essentially with two outs. U of L strung together two hit batters, a walk and three two-out hits, with the big blow coming in the form of a bases-loaded triple off the bat of Josh Richmond. Ryan Wright then followed that up with a seeing-eye single past third base to bring in the eventual winning run.

Senior Brad Lusti was cruising through the middle of the game before running into trouble in the seventh. After he gave up three runs in the third, he allowed just two more baserunners (one on an error) until the seventh.

"Brad Lusti came out and gave us a great start in tough conditions to pitch a baseball game in [strong wind blowing out again]," Doffek said. "We strung some hits together in the second and had an opportunity to put them away a little bit. But, to their credit, they battled and started making some pitches that got the game back in order for them. In the end, we couldn't put up a one or two on the scoreboard and instead put up a five and that was the difference."

The Panthers jumped ahead in the first three innings, plating four in the third to lead 6-0 at the time. Senior Ben Long singled in a run before Wozniak followed with his second home run of the year on a long blast to right center that scored three more.

It was Long in the first as well, as he drove in two with a double, sending home both Hoenecke and senior Andy Gerhartz, who were both hit by pitches to get on.

Gerhartz also added his first home run of the season, a solo shot leading off the fourth that gave Milwaukee a 7-3 advantage at the time.

UWM finished with 10 hits, led by two each from Wegner and Long.

Milwaukee will wrap up play in the Cardinal Classic tomorrow, taking on Eastern Illinois in a game set for a 10 a.m. CST first pitch.