April 3, 2009

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Senior Brad Lusti threw a complete game and allowed just four hits to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 6-3 victory over UIC Friday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field. Despite the windy and cold conditions, the Panthers (6-16, 2-2 Horizon) prevailed to improve to 16-3 all-time in home openers with the victory over the Flames (11-14, 6-1 Horizon).

Lusti (2-2) gave up three runs and struck out six in his impressive outing, given the playing conditions, and also walked just one batter - and that came in the ninth inning. The complete game was the first of the season for the staff.

"You cannot say enough about Brad Lusti today, especially in the hitter-friendly conditions that we played in," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "To go a complete game and give up just four hits in these conditions is unbelievable. He was just outstanding and that is really the type of senior leadership that we need."

In a game that was tied on two occasions, Milwaukee went ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Ben Long sent a smash past the UIC third baseman and legged it into a double. After going to third on a fly out, Long then came home on a passed ball to make the score 3-2 at the time.

UWM would add three big insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. After a leadoff walk to senior Andy Gerhartz, back-to-back sacrifice bunt attempts turned into base hits to load the bases when sophomore Doug Dekoning's attempt made it past the pitcher and senior Josh Groves' bunt was perfectly-placed down the third base line.

Long earned an RBI with a bases loaded walk to score one and a fielder's choice plated another. The third run of the inning then came home on a single to center by senior Shawn Wozniak, his second hit of the day.

"We made the most out of a couple of walks and well-executed bunts that really turned out to be the difference in the game," Doffek said. "It was really encouraging to see, because their lefty came in and walked a guy and we go bunt-bunt and have the bases loaded and really haven't done anything yet. That is what it takes. If you just execute, good things will happen."

The Panthers led 1-0 and 2-1, only to see the Flames tie it each time. The first run of the game came on a home run by freshman Paul Hoenecke. With the contest tied, 1-1, in the fifth, Wozniak walked, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on an infield hit by senior Johann Andes and came home on a sac fly by sophomore Cole Kraft.

UIC would tie it at 1-1 in the fourth on an infield hit by Steve McGuiggan and again in the sixth after Andy Leonard doubled and came around on an infield groundout. Adam Worthington (1-3) was tagged with the loss despite allowing just two earned runs in seven innings, striking out four and walking two.

On the offense, UWM doubled up the hit column, 8-to-4, with Wozniak the only batter with more than one hit in the game. Dekoning (seven games) and Hoenecke (six games) each extended their hitting streaks.

These two teams return to Henry Aaron Field for a doubleheader tomorrow, with game one set to start at noon.