Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Bucknell Baseball Comes Up Short Against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 7-6
3/19/2004 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2004
BRADENTON, Fla. - Bucknell starter Kevin Miller (1-2) threw 6 1/3 innings against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday afternoon, including three innings without a hit for the Panthers. But it was the top of the first inning that set the tone for the entire game, as Miller allowed hits to six of the first seven batters, four of whom scored on the way to a 7-6 win for UWM.
Sam Moss went three-for-four for Bucknell, while Patriot League Player of the Week Kyle Walter and Chris Grandizio each had two of Bucknell's 12 hits. Walter also had two of Bucknell's five RBI.
The Bucknell comeback began in the bottom of the third inning, when Walter tripled to left center, bringing home Moss and Ben Stoll before scoring himself on an overthrow on the same play. But UWM pushed the game further from the Bison hands with a run each in the fifth and sixth.
Bucknell again tried to close the deficit in the bottom of the sixth. Following a walk to first baseman Greg Ekimoff, junior Matt Belmont earned his first collegiate hit with a double down the right field line that scored Ekimoff before Belmont was put out trying to make third base. Usually the team's reserve catcher, Belmont started the game as a designated hitter en route to his first hit as a Bison. After singles to Steve Stutzman and Grandizio, Sam Moss brought home Stutzman with a sacrifice fly, cutting the Panther lead to 6-5.
But UWM pushed the lead one run further in the seventh. Nathan Mittag entered the game with a runner on second in relief of Miller and allowed just one hit, a double to first baseman Shane Davis, that scored the run. Mittag threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and no runs.
Bucknell left eight runners in scoring position and twelve total over the game, a problem that became especially acute in the late innings. Behind 7-5, Bucknell scored its last run in the seventh when Stutzman reached on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Ben Stanczyk, allowing pinch runner Brad Duvall to score from third. The Bison had a chance to take the lead in the eighth, when with two out, Phil Bunting flew out with the bases loaded to end the frame.
Korey Keller got the win for Wisconsin-Milwaukee, improving his record to 2-0 by throwing 5 1/3 innings and giving up nine hits and five runs, four of which were earned. He handed the game off to Jed Dolske, who earned his third save of the season by giving up three hits and one unearned run over 3 2/3 innings.
Bucknell's last game of the break will be against Dartmouth on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Wisc.-Milw. 4 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 -- 7 14 4 Bucknell 0 0 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 -- 6 12 1Miller, Mittag (7), and Barrett, Bunting (8); Keller, Dolske (6) and Wilson.
WP - Keller (2-0). LP - Miller (1-2). S - Dolske (3).
RBI - W: Sanfilippo, Resche, Stanczyk, Rivera, Graff 2, Davis; B: Moss, Walter, Belmont.
2B - W: Reschke, Alexander, Rivera, Nowicki, Davis; B: Belmont. 3B - B: Walter.Team Records - Bucknell 8-5. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 3-5.
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