April 19, 2014

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Freshman Justin Langley struck out 12 batters in just seven innings to help lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to back-to-back shutouts, topping Valparaiso University by a score of 5-0 Saturday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field.

"He was outstanding. From the first inning on, he was doing a good job of pounding the strike zone," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "He just did a really good job mixing and in the middle part of the game he found his breaking ball and then he became really tough to hit."

The Panthers (13-16, 6-6 Horizon League) jumped out to a quick lead with a four-run first-inning against the Crusaders (14-18, 6-6 Horizon League) and never looked back, with Langley finishing just one strikeout away from the school record of 13 in an impressive performance.

"When you can put up crooked numbers early in the game, it really gets the momentum and emotion in your dugout," Doffek said. "And then to come out after that and throw up some zeroes, I thought it was going to be tough for them to come back."

Langley's (2-1) day ended after 7.0 inning and 120 pitches, but was in complete control from start to finish. He allowed just five hits in his scoreless start, with no Valpo runner getting past second base on the day. He walked three, with the 12 K's the most for a Panther pitcher since Eric Semmelhack tied the school record with 13 back on March 31, 2012.

The offense made it easy for him, scoring four runs on the strength of four hits in the first inning. Senior Ryan Solberg started the scoring with a line drive single to right and came home on a two-out double off the bat of junior Tyler Hermann that scored a pair. Hermann came across on senior Pat Wilson's single to center, who was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw.

UWM added a run on an RBI-single by junior Mike Porcaro, but Langley did not need much on this day. He struck out at least one batter every inning, fanning a pair in the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh to get to 12 on the day.

Milwaukee had 10 more hits, with five players recording a pair. Junior Derek Peake was 2-for-3, with Porcaro, Solberg, Hermann and Wilson all ending the day 2-for-4.

In the process, the UWM pitching staff posted back-to-back shutouts for just the second time since the 2000 campaign and only the fifth time in program history in recording the series win over Valpo on the weekend.

Up next, the Panthers head to Kenosha, Wis., to play Parkside at Simmons Field Tuesday. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased over the phone at 262-653-0900 or online at KingfishBaseball.com.