May 17, 2011

Box Score: Game 1
Box Score: Game 2

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team scored 11 runs in the first three innings and never looked back, knocking off Northern Illinois University by a score of 13-6 in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday at Henry Aaron Field.

Seniors Doug Dekoning and Sam Sivilotti each drove in three runs as the team collected 14 hits in the seven-inning affair to earn the doubleheader split on the day. The Panthers (25-25-1) lost the opener, 11-7, after the Huskies (27-24) jumped out to an 8-1 lead and held on from there.

Dekoning had three hits and sophomore Jonathan Capasso was 3-for-3 and scored twice, with Sivilotti (2-for-3) and senior Cole Kraft (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also adding multi-hit outings in game two.

"That was really sloppy baseball on both ends," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Game one, we were a little sloppier than they were and it was just the opposite in game two. Going into the first game, we knew it was going to be tough because we were throwing some arms that haven't really had an opportunity to be out there. And, these were not great conditions to be a pitcher - wind blowing out, really hard surface - but, this is Division I baseball and we need to pitch ahead in the count and make routine plays and we didn't do either of those in the opener."

Senior Jayme Sukowaty (4-2) earned the victory in game two, coming on in relief to throw a pair of scoreless innings as one of five pitchers used in the contest. Junior Cameron Amsrud added four strikeouts in 2.0 innings and senior Cuyler Franzke worked a scoreless final inning.

Down 2-0 before their first at bat, the Panthers took control with a six-run frame of their own. Dekoning tripled in a run and scored on an infield single to tie it at 2-2. Capasso then drove in a run with a single and scored on a triple by Sivilotti. A passed ball allowed the next run to score before Kraft closed out the frame with an RBI-single to right.

It was more of the same in the third, with UWM plating five more runs to take charge. Kraft added another RBI-single and then Dekoning plated two more on a bases-loaded single.

"In game two, we did a better job," Doffek said. "We only walked two guys and made one error. So, that was the difference. I was really happy with the way the guys responded. You have exams going on, we just had four games on the weekend and we have three big games coming up. I think it's natural to feel a little bit of a lull, but I think we continued to show our youth the way we played today."

In the opener, it was just the opposite storyline. The Huskies jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning that they built into an 8-1 advantage before Milwaukee would try and get back into it.

Junior Phil Striggow hit the first of his two home runs in the game in the fifth inning, sending a two-run shot to left center. He then added a towering three-run shot to deep left in the seventh that made it a game at 11-7 with just one out. But, NIU's Ben Etcheverry came on in relief to retire the final two batters and close out the win for the Huskies.

Striggows's two-home run, five RBI day led UWM in the opener. Freshman Sam Koenig was 2-for-2 and was the only other Panther with more than one hit. Alex Jones was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Jamison Wells went 4-for-4 and scored four times to pace NIU, finishing a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Freshman Todd Hegbloom highlighted the effort on the mound for UWM, striking out five batters in his 2.0 scoreless innings of work.

"They all count the same, but I am a believer in positive momentum," Doffek said. "Hopefully we can use that positive momentum heading into the series against Valparaiso. So, it was really good to see us come out and hit that second game."

The Panthers do close out the regular season Thursday and Friday, welcoming Valparaiso University to Henry Aaron Field for three important games. UWM and Valpo are both mathematically alive to claim a regular season crown and all of the final four seeds of the conference standings are still up for grabs heading into the final series of league play. Thursday will be a single game, with a first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.

Both of today's games will be televised on a tape-delay basis on Time Warner Cable Sports 32. Game one will air on May 18 at 7 p.m., May 19 at 9 a.m., May 20 at 12 p.m. and May 22 at 5 p.m. Game two will air on May 20 at 7 p.m., May 21 at 12 p.m. and May 22 at 7:30 p.m.