After losing the first three games of its 2005 season by the combined score of 49-7, the Marquette club baseball team was in desperate need of some good news.

The Golden Eagles dropped their first two games of the season Saturday to Wisconsin-Eau Claire, ranked third in the nation in this week's club baseball standings, and lost the first game of their doubleheader against Wisconsin, 16-4, in five innings Sunday.

Good news came in a big way in the nightcap, when Marquette downed the Badgers, 8-7, in a tightly contested extra-inning affair. Marquette improved to 1-3 with the victory.

With the game tied at seven after seven innings, junior relief pitcher Daryl Baxa shut down Wisconsin in the top of the eighth inning to give Marquette's offense a chance to win the game.

Baxa drew a lead-off walk to open the bottom of the eighth and advanced to third after third baseman Mark Prioletti drilled a double to the fence in left field off Badgers reliever Richie Marrero. Catcher Charlie Foss lofted a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Adam Maruszewski with the game-winning run.

"It's a real great win for us, especially since it's our opening weekend," Marquette senior Steve Laabs said. Laabs serves as player-coach of the team.

"John Biese did a great job starting today and held off their offense and put us in great position to win the game. Mike Carusopday also came up big, and he's a freshman."

The Golden Eagles had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Wisconsin first baseman Phil Andreoli made a spectacular defensive play to throw out second baseman Curt Peters at the plate.

Peters led off the inning with a single and, after an out, advanced to second on center fielder Mike Sherwood's single. Caruso followed and grounded to shortstop Ryan Bachmeier, who flipped to second to force Sherwood. Second baseman David Buchanan's throw to first was wide and Caruso was called safe.

After Andreoli retrieved the throw up the first base line, Peters began to race home with the potential game-winning run. Andreoli fired a perfect strike to catcher Joe Lasee, who tagged a diving Peters to force extra innings.

Marquette played like a completely different team in the second game of the doubleheader against Wisconsin.

"We were just getting sick of getting embarrassed," Sherwood said. "Biese pitched awesome and did a great job of keeping the ball down. You can't leave the ball up against these guys or they'll just crush it. Madison and Eau Claire are the two best teams in our conference, and the whole team was down after the first game. A win like this lifts everyone up."

Peters believes this win will be the first of great things to come for the team this season.

"We're a very young team, and we're trying to start something here," Peters said.

"We're trying to put together a winning season, which has never really been done here before."

Marquette will be in action Wednesday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A site for the game is still to be determined.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 5 2005.