Archived: Feb 26, 2007

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Hogs, weather too much for Panthers

Baseball team loses 3 straight to No. 6 Arkansas

By Mike Kennedy

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After two postponements between the Universities of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Arkansas, the baseball series finally got underway with a double header on Sunday, Feb. 18.

Freezing weather and snow seemed a bit out of character for Arkansas weather, but it gave no edge to the Panthers baseball team (0-3) as they lost three games in two days to the Razorbacks (7-2).

The sixth-ranked Razorbacks stunned UWM as the Panthers hit just .172 in 27 innings against an elite Arkansas pitching staff. The Razorbacks allowed just five earned runs while hitting .394 with 11 doubles, two triples and three home runs in the three games.

Junior Troy Vesling and sophomore Andy Hetebrueg were the only UWM players to be successful against the Razorback pitching staff, combining for five-of-seven at the plate.

Milwaukee lost the first game 8-3 after taking a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Ross McCoy had a sacrifice fly, which was followed by a double by Hetebrueg. However, Arkansas came climbing back to tie UWM in the bottom of the forth. The Razorbacks sealed the deal with four runs off two hits in the seventh inning.

The second game would go the wrong way for the Panthers. UWM went through six pitchers in the second game and starter Dan Luczak (0-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs on six hits in just two innings. Panther pitchers walked 14 and allowed 22 hits in the 28-2 loss.

After the painful double-header the Panthers would go into Monday looking to make an upset, but their dreams would be shot down.

Razorback freshman Dallas Keuchel made his first collegiate start, going five scoreless innings and allowing only two Panther hits en route to an 8-1 win. Panthers starter Mike Rauwerdink pitched five innings and allowed five runs, only three earned, off of 10 hits.

Milwaukee scored its only run in the seventh inning off of a throwing error by the Razorbacks catcher.

The Panthers next series starts March 2 against the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ken. Their home opener is April 6 against Butler.

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Scores: Game 1: L, 8-3 Game 2: L, 28-2 Game 3: L, 8-1

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