May 26, 2004

UW-Milwaukee Topples Wright State, 11-3

    Niles, Ohio -- UW-Milwaukee junior and 2004 Horizon League Pitcher and Player of the Year Ben Stanczyk struck out nine and allowed just three hits in seven innings while going 2-for-5 at the plate with a two-run home run to lead the No. 3 Panthers (22-28) to an 11-3 victory over No. 4 Wright State (22-32) in game one of the 2004 Horizon League Championship.
    The Panthers pounded out 18 hits led by Joe Nowicki, Ross McCoy, who drilled two doubles and a triple, and Sam Jansen, who each collected three hits. Brooks Graff drove in three runs and went 2-for-5 for the Panthers.
    UW-Milwaukee got on the board first with a three-run second inning. Nowicki led off the frame with a single and scored when Ross McCoy laced a triple to right-center field. McCoy came around to score on Blake Kangas’ ground out and Graff drove in Jansen, who singled, with a base knock to right field.
    The Panthers added three more runs in the top half of the fourth inning to extend their advantage to 6-0. McCoy drilled double to right-center field and advanced to third on an error. Jansen doubled home McCoy and Kangas, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Jansen then scored on Matt Alexander’s single to center field.
    In the top of the seventh, UWM plated five more runs on five hits led by Stanczyk’s two-run blast to left-center field.
    For Wright State, Ross Oeder, Dan Biedenharn and Justin Wilson combined for all six of the Raiders’ hits with two apiece.
    UW-Milwaukee faces No. 1 Illinois-Chicago, Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. while Wright State faces the loser of the No. 3 Cleveland State vs. No. 6 Detroit game on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.