Box Score MILWAUKEE - Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis./Cedar Grove-Belgium) allowed just one run on four hits over 7.1 innings to lead the Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team to a season-ending 3-1 win over NCAA Division I UW-Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field. The win was the first over the Panthers in the all-time series (13 games).
The Warriors provided Ruppel with some early breathing room in the second when Evan Teske (Crete, Ill./Illinois Lutheran) smacked a two-out, two-run single to center field that plated Matt Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and Brandon Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran).
The two second-inning tallies proved to be all the insurance Ruppel needed as he saved his best stuff for the season finale, limiting the Panthers' offense to just four hits while striking out three. He walked three, but stranded six runners on base and benefited from some stellar defense behind him.
WLC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fifth behind a RBI single to center from Garrick Day (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound), who led the team with three hits in his final game as a Warrior. Travis Stahulak (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) came around to score on the play.
The Panthers plated what would be their only run of the contest in the sixth on a RBI single up the middle from Ryan Solberg. UWM threatened to tie the game in the eighth as it had runners on second and third with just one out. Jaime Paumen (Glencoe, Minn./Silver-Lake) came on in relief for Ruppel and induced a pair of ground ball outs that kept Milwaukee off the scoreboard in the frame.
Paumen remained in the game for the ninth and retired the side in order for his first collegiate save.
Mantz, Aaron Roeseler (Watertown, Wis./Luther Preparatory), Taylor Meyer (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton), and Connor Vredeveld (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) each added hits for the Warriors.
Ryan Solberg finished with three hits on the day for Milwaukee (17-23). Gunnar Eastman suffered the loss, pitching 8.0 innings and allowing three runs. He fanned five and walked two.
Wisconsin Lutheran (20-19, 8-12 NACC) concludes its season with four straight victories, solidifying back-to-back winning seasons for the second time in program history.
