May 12, 2010

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Three Northern Illinois University pitchers limited the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to just two earned runs in a 5-3 victory Wednesday night at Miller Park. The Panthers (23-21) led 2-0 early before the Huskies (20-28) broke a 2-2 deadlock with back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning. Jake Hermsen (2-1) pitched well for NIU, limiting the potent Milwaukee offense to two earned runs in 6.0 innings. Two relievers combined for 3.0 scoreless frames to secure the victory.

"Hermsen did a nice job mixing three different pitches, but if you look at the game, we really beat ourselves with some walks and hit batters," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said "Those runners end up scoring and then they get an inside-the-park home run. We played from behind and we didn't swing the bats well enough to play past those things. Two-out hits will win you games at any level and I don't think we got too many tonight. We just played from behind and could not get anything going."

The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on a single from junior Sam Sivilotti. He then scored on a throwing error to make it 2-0. The Huskies got on the board with an unearned run in the third before tying it in the fourth.

In the fifth, Alex Jones sent one to the wall in center. It bounced around off the angled walls at Miller Park, allowing Jones to cruise around the bases for a home run. Jordin Hood then sent a conventional home run to left center, giving NIU a lead at 4-2 that they would never relinquish.

Freshman Jonathan Capasso led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run - the first of his career - to cut the deficit to one, but UWM gave that back with another unearned tally in the eighth.

The Panthers had just seven hits in the game, led by a 3-for-3 showing by Capasso. Hood finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Freshman Jordan Guth got the start, allowing one earned run in 4.0 innings.

A big weekend awaits the team, as it plays back-to-back Horizon League doubleheaders Friday and Saturday. Up first is Butler University, with game one of Friday's twinbill set for a first pitch of 2 p.m.