April 10, 2009

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Senior Brad Lusti threw eight scoreless innings and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team set a season-high with 20 hits in defeating Wright State, 16-6, Friday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field. The Panthers (10-17, 4-3 Horizon) recorded 11 hits for extra-bases on the day and held the Raiders (15-17, 4-3 Horizon) scoreless until they broke up the shutout bid in the ninth inning.

Lusti (3-2) recorded his third-straight strong outing, allowing just three hits in eight shutout innings. He struck out nine, walked only two and got out of the few jams when WSU did put runners on base.

"You cannot ask for anything more than that," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Lusti was fantastic - worked both sides of the plate with three pitches, great pace and rhythm, kept them on their heels, just outstanding again. The last few ball games that is what he has done. When the opponent gets something going, he bears down and makes quality pitches and we have played defense behind him."

Offensively, seven different players recorded multi-hit games, led by four hits each from both senior Shawn Wozniak and freshman Paul Hoenecke. Senior Johann Andes had three and four others recorded two each. Milwaukee ended the contest with eight doubles - just one off the school record of nine - and three home runs. Hoenecke tied the school record for doubles in a game with three.

"We did a good job of making them elevate their pitches after one time through the order," Doffek said. "We had a lot of quality at bats all day long and put up some crooked numbers."

The Panthers scored seven runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Wozniak led off with a home run and Andes followed two batters later with a home run to right center. Wozniak added another run-scoring single in the inning and Hoenecke doubled in two more to make it 16-0 at the time.

Wright State would score all six runs in the top of the ninth, including four on a home run by Jake Hibberd, who finished the day with three hits and four runs batted in.

UWM plated three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. Hoenecke and senior Tim Patzman had RBI-doubles in the fifth and Wozniak had another RBI-single. In the fourth, Andes drove home a run with a hit, Patzman homered and senior Andy Gerhartz plated another on a bunt single.

The bottom three of the Milwaukee batting order finished 11-for-14 with eight runs scored and 11 driven in: Wozniak (4-for-4, 4 runs, 3 RBI), Hoenecke (4-for-5, 3 runs, 4 RBI) and Andes (3-for-5, 4 RBI) did most of the damage on the day.

Gerhartz, Patzman and sophomores Cole Kraft and Doug Dekoning all had two hits.

These two teams close out the weekend with a doubleheader tomorrow, starting at noon at Henry Aaron Field.