March 5, 2011

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team led, 4-0 and 8-5, but was unable to hold on in falling to the University of Arkansas, 13-9, Saturday at Baum Stadium. The Panthers (1-6) raced out to a 4-0 lead after two and overcame a 5-4 deficit to lead 8-5 in the fourth inning, only to see the No. 16 Razorbacks (9-1) retake the lead with a four-run fourth inning and add on from there.

Milwaukee collected 12 more hits on the day, with sophomore Jonathan Capasso leading the way with a 3-for-4 performance. Senior Chad Pierce was 2-for-5, with two runs scored and two RBI, and senior Doug Dekoning extended his hitting streak to nine games with two more hits.

"I thought Jordan (Guth) threw the ball well early, but we ran into trouble once again," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "I was really happy with the way the offense responded today - they really did a great job battling back a couple of times and giving us the runs we needed to stay in the game. We are using such a young lineup [three sophomores/two freshmen in starting lineup], it's tough some times. We have to find a way to stop beating ourselves like we did today."

Milwaukee roughed up Brandon Moore, who came in 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA, early and often, hanging six runs on the Arkansas starter in three-plus innings of work. The Panthers jumped out for three runs in the first on three hits, with junior Paul Hoenecke adding an RBI-single. They tacked on another in the second on a run-scoring single off the bat of Pierce.

Sophomore Jordan Guth worked two scoreless innings before Arkansas got on the board with a five-run fourth to take the lead.

The Panthers never flinched, retaking the momentum with four runs in the fourth to take the lead at 8-5. Capasso and Pierce each drove in a run before senior Cole Kraft plated another on a single to right. Hoenecke closed out the scoring with a sac fly.

The Razorbacks struck again, but were helped along by a pair of UWM errors to plate four runs in the fourth and retake the lead at 9-8. Milwaukee would tie the game in the fifth on an RBI by freshman Tell Taylor, but that would be the end of the scoring.

UWM and Arkansas close out the series with a 1 p.m. start Sunday.