March 28, 2008

Milwaukee 20, Butler 10 Box Score
Indianapolis, Ind. - Jesse Hart and Ben Long combined for six hits and nine RBI to lead the way for Milwaukee, as the Panthers defeated host Butler, 20-10, in Horizon League action at Bulldog Park. The Panthers (4-15, 1-3) recorded a season-high 24 hits and got a strong start from Brad Lusti to beat the Bulldogs (4-13, 2-2).

Hart collected three hits, including his first home run of the season, and tied his career-high with four runs batted in. Long drove in the first four runs of the day for Milwaukee, finishing with three hits and five runs driven in. Every starter had at least one hit and scored a run in the game. The 20 runs scored were the most for Milwaukee since plating 26 against Chicago State during April of the 2006 season.

Lusti (2-2) earned the victory with 7.0 innings of work, scattering 11 hits in allowing three earned runs. He struck out six and walked two in his start.

The Panthers scored first, plating a run in the second on Long's RBI-single to center field. Butler returned the favor in the third to make it 1-1 before the Panther bats would erupt, starting in the fourth.

It was Long again in the fourth, closing out a two-out rally with his second home run of the season to left field after Troy Vesling and junior Andy Hetebrueg singled with two outs and nobody on base.

UWM put up crooked numbers in each of the next five innings, plating four in the fifth, two in the sixth, five in the seventh, two in the eighth and three more in the ninth.

Hart had a two-run double in the sixth and added a run-scoring single in the seventh after Andy Gerhartz plated two more with a double to the left field wall.

In addition to Hart and Long, Nick Wichser and Gerhartz also had a team-high three hits. Wichser went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, while Gerhartz was 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two runs batted in.

Vesling and Hetebrueg each chipped in with two hits, as did freshman Doug Dekoning, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two driven in after subbing in during the seventh inning.

Cleveland State at Valparaiso, ppd.
UIC at Wright State, ppd.
The other two games scheduled for Friday were postponed due to the weather. Both contests have been re-scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Valparaiso and Dayton, respectively.