May 1, 2010

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

MILWAUKEE - An extra-inning home run in the opener and a shutout in the second game helped the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Valparaiso University Saturday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field. The Panthers (20-19, 9-6 Horizon) and Crusaders (18-24, 6-5 Horizon) played 11 innings in game one, ending on a walk-off two-run home run by senior Tim Patzman with two outs in the 7-5 decision.

Senior Jeff Gordon and sophomore Cameron Amsrud combined on the shutout in the nightcap, helping UWM improve its home record to 10-2 on the year - and to 23-2 in its past 25 games in Milwaukee - with the 3-0 victory.

"It's not an easy task to have a short memory like that after getting beat up yesterday," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "It was just a good team effort in game one. The hitters really came through with some clutch hits late and Patzman came through with the big two-out home run. I think a lot of the credit in the opener goes to Greg Blohowiak, to really put the momentum back in our dugout putting three or four critical zeroes up on the mound and let us peck away."

Down 5-4 after Valparaiso went ahead in the seventh, Blohowiak (1-0) came on and threw four scoreless frames, giving up just one hit while striking out a pair.

Down to their last chance after leaving the bases loaded in the eighth, the Panthers made it interesting in the ninth. Junior Doug Dekoning singled with one out and, after a pop out, Patzman came to the plate with two outs. He sent a deep fly ball down the left field line that looked like a potential home run, but went just foul. He calmly delivered a two-strike single to extend the rally and senior Dan Buchholz did the same, singling up the middle to plate Dekoning and set the stage for Patzman's home run.

With two outs in the 11th, senior Ben Long singled in front of Patzman, who sent a 2-2 pitch high into a stiff breeze in left field. The left fielder kept backing up, but could only watch it go over his head and out for the winner.

"That was my first-ever real walk-off home run," Patzman said. "I thought it was a good swing when I hit the ball foul (in the ninth) and it's kind of hard to compose yourself so quickly. But then Dan picked us up and tied it and I just wanted another chance to hit. I got that opportunity and look what happened."

The team collected 12 hits in the opener, led by a 3-for-6 effort from Patzman, who scored three times and drove in two. Sophomore Paul Hoenecke was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and Dekoning and Buchholz each added a pair of hits.

In game two, Gordon (3-0) was brilliant. He worked into the seventh inning in allowing just four hits and no runs. He struck out three and came up with big pitches when needed, as his defense (four errors) did not help the cause. In the game, the Crusaders left 10 men on base.

"We scuffled all weekend with the bats and Gordon was outstanding and Cam came in and followed up," Doffek said. "In both cases, we did not defend well behind them and those two made big pitches when they had to and it could have blown up on us - it was just a gutsy performance on the mound."

Scoreless until the fifth, UWM scratched across a run on a single off the bat of junior Cole Kraft, scoring junior Sam Sivilotti who had doubled to lead off the inning.

Milwaukee tacked on two more in the seventh, with Dekoning and Patzman each coming through with run-scoring hits.

Amsrud came on in the seventh with two runners on base and worked out of the jam. He ended with a seven-out save - his fifth of the year - scattering three hits, walking none and striking out three.

Patzman finished 3-for-4 in game two and Dekoning (2-for-4), Sivilotti (2-for-4) and sophomore Alex Erdmann (2-for-2) all recording multi-hit games.

The Panthers close out the homestand with a game Tuesday, welcoming Cardinal Stritch University to Henry Aaron Field for a 4 p.m. start.