May 27, 2011

Box Score | Tournament Central

DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team was eliminated in heartbreaking fashion from the Horizon League Tournament Friday night, falling 1-0 to UIC in an elimination game at Nishwitz Stadium.

"If you would have told me we were going to lose 1-0, I would have never believed it," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Our pitchers did a great job and their kid was just terrific. It was just really well-executed on the mound by both sides."

Milwaukee's pitching staff combined to allow just three hits in the contest, but Andy Leonard's RBI double scored the game's only run in the third inning and turned out to the only score of the thrilling contest.

"We gave up three hits, made no errors and lost 1-0," Doffek said. "In a college baseball game, that is not easy to do. But, they got one with runners in scoring position. We had a couple of opportunities - hit a couple of balls hard too - but these guys have a lot to be proud of. It was a season of adversity. I think we lost about seven guys to season-ending injuries, the weather was awful, it just seemed like it was one thing after another. But, they really kept fighting the whole year - I am really proud of them."

The Panthers (28-28-1) had a couple of scoring opportunities late in the game but were thwarted each time by Flames (28-25) pitcher Matt Heaslip, who threw the complete-game shutout.

UWM put the leadoff runner on base in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, but left the tying run stranded at third base in two of those situations.

"Heaslip was just really good," Doffek said. "He had a plus-slider working in any count and just didn't give us much to hit. Like I said, we had a couple of opportunities and lined out and weren't fortunate enough to get the hit. They got the one hit that was an inch fair. If that goes two inches the other way, we might still be playing. But, that's baseball."

The only run of the game was plated in the third. After two outs, the Flames rally started with a walk and a hit batter. Leonard then sent a shot down the left field line that landed fair by inches and the solo tally stood up the rest of the way.

Senior Jayme Sukowaty came on in relief in the third and was magnificent. He left the bases loaded in that frame and went on to throw 5.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing only a meaningless fifth-inning single the rest of the way. He walked one batter and struck out two.

Heaslip (5-5) went the distance, giving just five hits, walking three and striking out seven.

Senior Cole Kraft (2-for-4) and freshman Ryan Solberg (2-for-3) led the Panther offense. Senior Sam Sivilotti was the only other player with a hit, a leadoff double in the fourth that looked like a home run off the bat and nearly tied the game.

The loss concludes the season for Milwaukee and its six seniors. Doug Dekoning closed out his career as just the second player to bat .300 or better for all four years of his career. He also leaves as the program leader in games played, at bats and finished second in career hits (260). Kraft finished third on that list (250) as well.