May 3, 2009

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

LORAIN, Ohio - Senior Andy Hetebrueg took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in helping the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 12-1 victory over Cleveland State University in game one of a doubleheader Sunday at Pipe Yard Stadium. The Panthers (21-21, 10-6 Horizon) made the game a route with an eight-run sixth inning, but could not complete the sweep when the Vikings (16-25, 8-10 Horizon) held on for a 5-3 victory in game two.

"The opener was an all-around good game for us," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "Andy Hetebrueg was just stellar on the mound, we swung the bats well and it was just an all-around good victory. We had some chances early on in game two, but just kept lining out. To their credit, the outfielders made some outstanding plays all day for them. Our pitchers gave us a chance to win the game, but we just had a hard time getting that big hit."

Senior Josh Groves and sophomore Doug Dekoning each had four hits to lead a 17-hit attack in the opener. Dekoning finished 4-for-4 with two RBI's and scored twice, while Groves was 4-for-5 with a run scored and drove in four in the game. Senior Shawn Wozniak also had a big outing, finishing 3-for-5 with his seventh home run of the season.

Hetebrueg (3-3) faced the minimum through the first five-plus innings, not allowing a base runner until a clean single to right with one out in the sixth. He finished with eight strikeouts and just one walk in 7.0 innings, giving up only the one hit. CSU did plate a run in the ninth to break up the shutout.

An eight-run uprising in the sixth gave UWM all it would need. Wozniak led off the frame with a home run and sophomore Cole Kraft drove in two with a bases-loaded double. Dekoning and Groves had RBI-singles and junior Tim Patzman also plated a pair with a base hit in the rally.

In the nightcap, Milwaukee led 2-0 and 3-2 but could not hold on. Junior Gabe Marshall worked 4.0 innings as the starter, allowing just one earned run.

Groves gave UWM a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the first and Kraft walked with the bases loaded to force in another in the second. After the Vikings tied the game at 2-2, the Panthers retook the lead on junior Shaun Wegner's base hit in the fourth. CSU would tie the contest in the fifth inning and then take the lead on a Ryan Franks double.

UWM had just seven hits in the game, with Wozniak (2-for-4) the only one in the line-up to record a multi-hit outing. Kraft did go 1-for-2 and walked three times to extend his career-best hitting streak to 15 games.

The Panthers return to action this week with a road trip Tuesday, heading to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in a single game starting at 6 p.m.