The University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the
game before winning in 11 innings and then defeated Valparaiso
again in the nightcap of the doubleheader by scores of 7-5 and 3-0 on Saturday
afternoon at Henry Aaron Field in Milwaukee,
Wis.
“Our starting pitching was
good today,” head coach Tracy Woodson
said. “We just couldn’t close the first
game out. We had several opportunities
to score runs and just didn’t. The
second game seemed to be a let down, especially after we had two on in the
first and couldn’t score.”
Robbie Robinson
(Brea, Calif./Olinda H.S.) had three hits and drove in a pair of runs in the opener,
and the Crusaders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Tim Patzman hit a
two-out two-run homer in the 11th to cap the comeback.
Kyle Gaedele
(Arlington Heights,
Ill./Rolling Meadows H.S.) put Valpo on the
scoreboard in the top of the first with a run-scoring double. Robinson followed with another double to
plate Gaedele, and scored himself on an error as the Crusaders took a 3-0 lead.
The Panthers answered with
three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning though, to retie the game. A groundout and a two-run single by Paul
Hoenecke plated all three runs after a one-out error loaded the bases.
A sacrifice fly off of the
bat of David Klein (Aurora, Ill./Oswego
East H.S.) scored Robinson in the third as the Brown and Gold retook the lead
4-3. The game stayed that way until the
bottom of the sixth when Hoenecke delivered Milwaukee’s third straight single to knot the
game.
Robinson answered immediately
for the Crusaders in the seventh, singling home Gaedele with the go-ahead run,
and Valpo would maintain its lead until the ninth.
With two outs and a runner on
first, back-to-back singles, the latter by Dan Buchholz, tied the game and sent
it into extra innings. Valpo put a
runner on third with two outs in the 11th, but that would be its
only threat as Patzman ended the game with his blast with two outs in the
bottom of the inning.
Austen Siwiec
(Aurora, Ill./Marmion
Academy) suffered the loss (1-3) in relief for the Crusaders after Bryce Shafer (Wabash, Ind./Northfield
H.S.) started and went eight innings, allowing four runs, only one of which was
earned, and seven hits while striking out seven. Greg Blahowiak earned the win (1-0) for the
Panthers, pitching the final four innings and allowing just one hit.
In the nightcap, Patzman went
3-for-4 for Milwaukee
while Jeff Gordon and Cameron Amsrud combined on the shutout, scattering just
seven hits and walking just one.
The game was scoreless into
the fifth when Valpo threatened, loading the bases with one out. A line drive double play allowed the Panthers
to keep the game scoreless. In the
bottom of the fifth, Cole Kraft broke the scoreless deadlock with a RBI
single. Crusaders starter Damon McCormick (Louisville, Ky./Saint
Xavier H.S.) avoided further damage though, and kept the deficit at just one
into the seventh.
Milwaukee added a pair of insurance tallies in the seventh on
the way to earning the shutout victory.
Kyle Muhlsteff
(Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza
H.S.) and Andrew Bain (Indianapolis, Ind./Park
Tudor H.S.) had two hits each for the Crusaders, but Valpo hit into three double plays to end any rallies they tried to
start.
McCormick pitched seven
innings while suffering the loss (4-1) for the Crusaders, allowing three runs
and 10 hits. He did not walk a
batter. Gordon went 6.2 innings to earn
the win (3-0) for Milwaukee
(20-19, 9-6 Horizon) while Amsrud finished up for his fifth save of the year.
Valparaiso (18-24, 6-5) will return to the diamond on Tuesday
evening as the Crusaders return to U. S. Steel Yard in Gary to battle Northwestern. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.