April 3, 2010

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

MILWAUKEE - Strong pitching and timely hitting helped the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland State University Saturday at Henry Aaron Field. The Panthers (10-13, 4-2 Horizon League) defeated the Vikings (5-17, 0-3 Horizon League) by scores of 5-3 and 7-5 to complete the weekend Horizon League sweep and improve their home winning streak to an impressive 18 games. Sophomore Cameron Amsrud earned the victory in game one and followed that with the save in game two.

Senior Tim Patzman broke open a late 3-3 game in the opener, capping a 4-for-4 performance with a two-run home-run in the bottom of the eighth in the 5-3 win.

In the nightcap, UWM jumped out to a 7-2 lead before Cleveland State clawed back into it. Amsrud recorded his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth, working out of trouble when CSU had the winning run at the plate in the 7-5 decision.

"It was a combination of timely, timely hitting and good pitching," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "And, we fielded all the ground balls that were hit to us. They had really gotten the momentum back and Cam (Cameron Amsrud) came in with a 2-0 count on the batter to lead off the ninth and come back and get a strikeout. He did just an outstanding job."

Senior Jordan Herbert started game two, but came out in the fourth with an injury concern. Senior Jeff Gordon (2-0) stepped in and threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out a pair.

"We give the ball to Jeff [after that] and he was great," Doffek said. "He went and threw four-plus scoreless innings and was outstanding."

After falling behind, 2-1, in the top of third, Milwaukee battled right back with three of its own to regain the 4-2 advantage. Junior Doug Dekoning led off with a triple and was driven in by senior Ben Long to make it 2-2. The next run scored on an error before junior Jim Lundstrom earned the tough RBI with a bases-loaded hit by pitch.

Dekoning tied the school record with his second triple of the game in the fourth (set three other times) and scored on a passed ball. The Panthers would make it 6-2 when junior Sam Sivilotti scored on freshman Alex Erdmann's two-out single and 7-2 when Erdmann came through with another two-out RBI in the seventh.

The offense ended with 12 hits, led by a 3-for-5 showing by Dekoning. Erdmann (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and senior Dan Buchholz (2-for-4) also had multi-hit games. Buchholz extended his hitting streak to nine games in the process.

"Something else that may not get noticed is that Cole Kraft went out early with an injury and we had to go to Alex Erdmann, who hasn't really had many opportunities this year," Doffek said. "He comes in and he gets a couple of big two-out hits and two-out RBI's and played good defense at short. And, you look up at the scoreboard and we win by two. It could be anybody on any day and that is the sign of a good team."

Sophomore Kyle Schmidt pitched well in the opener, but ran out of gas in the eighth before being pulled with the game tied, 3-3. He ended with eight strikeouts, allowing just six hits. Amsrud (1-4) earned the victory with 1.2 scoreless frames, allowing no hits.

"In game one I thought Kyle Schmidt has his best stuff all season," Doffek said. "He just started to flatten out in the seventh when we took him out and Cam came in and did an outstanding job. He held it there after they tied it and then Timmy Patzman hit a two-strike, two-out home run to win it."

Trailing 1-0 in the third, UWM went ahead, 2-1, on a long home run to left from senior Shaun Wegner. Sivilotti made it 3-1 when his two-out triple plated Patzman.

CSU got back within one in the seventh and tied it in the eighth on Bob Suitca's double, setting the stage for Patzman's heroics. His game-winning two-run home run came with two outs, on an 0-2 pitch and was his fourth hit of the contest.

The team finished with 11 hits, with Buchholz (2-for-4) the only other player with more than one.

The homestand continues next with two more games, with UWM taking on in-state rivals Wisconsin Lutheran Thursday and St. Norbert College Friday.