March 9, 2012

Box Score

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The University of Arkansas at Little Rock continued its recent strong offensive showing, scoring 10 or more runs for the sixth straight game in taking a 12-5 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team Friday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.

The Trojans (11-3) came into the day leading the NCAA in runs scored and added to that total, breaking open a scoreless game against the Panthers (3-9) in the third inning before pulling away. Milwaukee made a dent in the deficit with a five-run rally in the ninth inning but could get no closer.

Down to their last at bat, the Panthers didn't go without a fight. Freshman Mitch Ghelfi started the scoring with a bases-loaded single. Senior Phil Striggow and sophomore Ryan Solberg each followed with base hits that plated two more apiece, but that was as far as it would go.

UALR's Chance Cleveland (4-0) won his fourth straight start to open the 2012 campaign, allowing no runs on five hits through the first eight-complete innings. He struck out a career-high 10 and walked one but did end up allowing all five of the UWM runs.

Junior Eric Semmelhack (0-3) took the loss, cruising into the third before getting into trouble. He ended with six strikeouts in 4.0 innings, but allowed six earned runs.

Cleveland allowed a leadoff single in the second inning to junior Will Fadness and then got in a groove. A double-play allowed him to face the minimum from the second through fourth innings, retiring eight in a row before allowing a leadoff double in the fifth, again to Fadness.

"He (Cleveland) had a very good short slider and commanded in any count," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We just couldn't do anything against him. The real story was just non-competitive at bats and non-competitive on the mound and that is just really inexcusable. Two of the three phases just did not come to play. We picked ourselves up a little bit in the ninth and hopefully we can use that as a springboard for tomorrow."

Fadness (2-for-3), senior Paul Hoenecke (2-for-4) and Solberg (2-for-2, 2 RBI) each had two of the UWM hits, with senior Mark Strey, Striggow, Ghelfi and junior Drew Pearson accounting for the others. Senior Kyle Spurley did close it out on the mound, throwing the final 2.0 scoreless frames in striking out a pair.

The Trojans scored three runs in the third despite making solid contact on just one swing. With one out, the UALR batter essentially threw his bat at a 1-2 pitch and singled to center, which was followed by an infield single and walk. But, David Guarno made him pay, sending a 1-2 pitch to the wall in left center and clearing the bases.

UALR entered the game first in the nation with 131 runs scored and also at the top of the charts in slugging percentage and OPS in addition to its .338 team batting average. Milwaukee did hold Sean Bignall, who came into the game as one of the NCAA's leading hitters at .531 (26-for-49) to an 0-for-4 day, including two strikeouts.

Due to the weather forecast for Sunday in the Little Rock area, the remainder of the weekend schedule is still to be decided. Instead of single games Saturday and Sunday, the teams may now play a doubleheader tomorrow. That decision will be made yet this evening, so please check back on the UWM website for details. A single game tomorrow will start at 3 p.m.; a twinbill would have a first pitch of 1 p.m.

FINAL UPDATE:
The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.