May 15, 2011

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - In a game that featured five ties, five lead changes, 20 hits, 12 walks, eight errors, a 74-minute rain delay and a handful of bizarre plays, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Butler University baseball teams played to an 11-11 tie after the contest was called after seven innings - and after almost four and a half hours - due to darkness at Bulldog Park.

The Panthers (24-24-1, 13-9-1 Horizon League) held leads in both the sixth and seventh innings, only to see the Bulldogs (22-23-1, 10-12-1 Horizon League) tie the game with two outs in the last of the seventh on a strange play that featured a pair of UWM errors. The 11-11 draw marks the first tie game for the Panthers since a 13-13 decision against Belmont in March of 1998.

"I have never seen the combination of all of the above like that in one game," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "It was just the most bizarre day - from the first pitch on, whatever you thought would traditionally happen just didn't. So, I really don't know what you take from it besides it being crazy and unfortunate that we let that happen. But, we did, and now we have to pick up our bootstraps and try and get some positive energy back."

Up 4-0 and seemingly in command of game two of the doubleheader, the rains fell hard enough to delay the game in the top of the fourth inning. After the wait, the Panthers tacked on a run in each of the next two innings and led comfortably, 6-1, heading into the BU fifth inning.

That was when the trouble started. The Bulldogs sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs, but did it on the strength of just three hits - with just one leaving the infield. Four walks and an error hurt the effort and UWM fell behind, 7-6.

The team never gave up and retook the lead immediately in the sixth. Senior Doug Dekoning came up with the clutch hit, sending a bases-loaded double down the right field line to chase home a pair of runs.

Just as quickly, Butler responded, taking a 9-8 lead on Grant Fillipitch's two-run double following an error and a walk. Cue the Panthers, who responded with a three-run seventh to extend the drama.

"I think the conditions we played in caused a lot of that to happen," Doffek said. "We gave into it and the game just started moving too fast and it turned into walks and errors. We completely shot ourselves in the foot on the mound and in the field. We let them score 11 runs on six singles and a home run, so we had to do seven different things wrong to lose that game and almost did. The positive was, is that even though we kept relinquishing leads, our offense never quit all day."

Not only were the teams fighting each other, but, with no lights at Bulldog Park, they were also battling darkness. Junior Mark Strey tied the game once again with a single up the middle and freshman Tell Taylor's RBI-single made it 10-9 in the top of the seventh before Strey scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run.

Then, in the bottom, a single and two walks loaded the bases with one out. A comebacker to the mound looked to be the inning-ender, but a bad throw to first allowed the first run to score and another miscue in the outfield allowed the tying run to slide in under the tag. When the inning was finally over, the crew of umpires called the game due to darkness, four hours and 19 minutes after the first pitch.

Milwaukee almost doubled-up Butler in the hit column, 13-to-7, with senior Chad Pierce leading the way with a 3-for-4 day. Senior Cole Kraft (2-for-5), Taylor (2-for-4), Dekoning (2-for-4), sophomore Drew Pearson (2-for-4) and Strey (2-for-4) all added multi-hit efforts.

Freshman Mike Schneider was the starter and threw well until the rain delay. After coming back out, he got into trouble in the fifth. Overall, he allowed five runs, walked three and struck out three.

In the opener, Butler's Mike Hernandez threw a gem, recording a complete-game 2-1 victory. He allowed just six hits, walking no one while adding eight strikeouts.

"Hernandez was very good in the opener," Doffek said. "There were a couple of things we didn't execute that came back to haunt us, but he pitched a really good game. On our side of things, Jordan (Guth) gave us a really good game. He gave us a quality start on the mound and, when you lose a 2-1 game in seven innings, there is not much you can say."

Down, 2-0, in their final inning, the Panthers made it a game with a late rally. Senior Sam Sivilotti doubled with one out before Kraft traded places with him with a double of his own with two outs. That was as far as he would get, however, when Hernandez induced a ground ball to third to end the contest.

Trailing, 1-0, in the fifth inning, UWM had a chance to tie it earlier when Kraft singled, stole second and then went to third on a wild pitch. With the tying run 90 feet away and just one out, Hernandez came through with a strikeout. Dekoning then sent a long fly ball deep to left center, but it was tracked down and caught at the fence.

Butler plated a run in the third and added a critical insurance run on Jack Krause's two-out double down the right field line in the bottom of the sixth.

Kraft (2-for-4), junior Paul Hoenecke (2-for-3), and Sivilotti (2-for-3) combined to go 6-for-10 and account for all of UWM's hits. Butler had just five hits in the game off sophomore Jordan Guth, with no player collecting more than one.

Guth (1-4) pitched well in suffering the hard-luck loss. He went 5.2 innings, giving up just four hits and the two earned runs. He walked four but did strike out five.

The Panthers close out the regular season with five games this week, taking on Northern Illinois University for a doubleheader May 17 before finishing up the slate by welcoming Valparaiso University May 19-20 at Henry Aaron Field. Tuesday's doubleheader against the Huskies will also be televised by Time Warner Sports 32.