Thursday, April 22, 2004

Valparaiso, Ind. - Wisconsin-Milwaukee broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the top of the eighth and held on to defeat Valpo 4-3. The game was originally scheduled for seven innings.

Zak Rivera's sacrifice fly to left scored Matt Alexander with the go ahead run with nobody out in the eighth. The Crusaders escaped further damage.

Valpo (9-21) scored three runs in the first inning, but Wisconsin-Milwaukee (13-17)matched the Crusaders with a three-run fifth.

In the first, Mike Arensdorff walked and stole second. After Kevin Perri walked, Kevin Kutansky hit a double down the right field line, scoring Arensdorff. Perri and Kutansky both scored on consecutive wild pitches.

The Panthers knotted the game in the fifth on Sam Jansen's two-run single and Ben Stanczyk's RBI single.

Valpo had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh, but Rivera made a diving catch of Kutansky's line drive down the first base line to end the threat.

Jeff Rickert (0-1), Valpo's starting shortstop, took the loss in relief. Robert Michalkiewicz (3-3) earned the win in relief.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee finished with four hits, while Valpo had two. Valpo used five pitchers.

Valpo (3-1) hosts Oakland (3-1) in a Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.