May 28, 2010

Box Score

GARY, Ind. - Junior Jayme Sukowaty allowed just three hits and one run in a complete-game effort, but came up on the wrong side of a 1-0 decision as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to Wright State University Friday night at the Horizon League Tournament. The Panthers (30-24) and Raiders (31-23) were locked in a pitcher's duel all game at the U.S. Steel Yard, as the two hurlers combined for 17 strikeouts, no walks and just nine total hits allowed.

Sukowaty's counterpart, Casey Henn, was just as brilliant, setting a new league tournament record by striking out 14 batters while also throwing a complete game.

"You just have to tip your cap to Henn," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "He really had us on our heels from the first pitch to the last. You can't put the loss on Jayme. He was toe-to-toe with Henn and pitched an outstanding game. He threw just 81 pitches and scattered three hits and took a tough-luck loss."

Dan Marsh drove in the game's only run, sending a single past a draw-in infield in the sixth inning to provide for the only scoring in the 1-0 decision.

Sukowaty (4-1) walked none and struck out three, facing the minimum through the first five innings. Just one runner even made it past second base, helped along by some fine defense behind the plate - senior catcher Shaun Wegner threw out one runner and picked off two more - and also in the field.

After falling behind in the sixth, Milwaukee had a great opportunity in the seventh. Senior Dan Buchholz led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Squaring to bunt, sophomore Paul Hoenecke was hit by a pitch to make it two on with no outs. Henn was up to the challenge, however, striking out the next three batters in order.

A leadoff single in the eighth by junior Jim Lundstrom gave UWM another hope. But, after being sacrificed to second, Henn recorded another K and a ground ball to get out of it.

"I think we had three chances in that game with runners in scoring position and could not muster a two-out hit," Doffek said.

Milwaukee had six of the nine hits in the contest, led by two apiece from Buchholz and junior Cole Kraft. Sukowaty held the top six spots in the WSU batting order to an 0-for-16 showing, with a hit apiece from the 7-8-9 hitters. Henn (7-0) finished with no walks and those 14 punchouts, throwing 141 pitches in the process of earning U.S. Army Player of the Game honors.

The Panthers will now face Valparaiso University in an elimination game tomorrow, starting at 11 a.m. The winner will have the right to face the Raiders in the championship.

"We're just going to try and win the first inning," Doffek said. "We have plenty of arms left so that is not going to be a factor. We are going to come out and play a complete game - swing the bats, pitch well and play defense - instead of just two out of three like we did tonight."