Feb. 22, 2014

Box Score

Port Charlotte, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team pounded out 12 hits and scored a season-high eight runs but it wasn't enough as they fell to an undefeated Kansas squad, 9-8, at North Charlotte Regional Park Saturday as part of the Snowbird Classic.

It was already the fourth time this season Kansas (6-0) came from behind to win a game.

Milwaukee (1-5) outhit the Jayhawks, 12-7, and had leads of 4-2 and 8-6, but just could not hang on down the stretch.

"I thought the most important thing of the day way - it got a little chippy between the two teams and I really felt like that was the first time since Sept. 1 that our guys came together as a team," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "They battled and took it personal. I think if they do that on a daily basis, we've got an opportunity to beat anybody. That's an undefeated team (in Kansas) and that's their Friday night starter. We did a good job there."

After Kansas opened the game with one run in the first, Milwaukee answered right back in the top half of the second. Mitch Ghelfi led off with a bunt single and Tyler Hermann was hit by a pitch to make it two on and one out when Tell Taylor stepped to the plate. The junior drilled a single to third base, with Ghelfi scoring on a throwing error to even the game up at 1-1.

The Jayhawks were able to get one back though, following a pair of errors to take a 2-1 lead after two complete.

The Panthers then took the lead in the fifth. Sam Koenig came to the plate with the bases loaded and drove in Derek Peake and Mike Porcaro, ripping the first pitch he saw to left center. Ghelfi then made it 4-2 on a sac fly to deep right center, plating Pat Wilson from third.

KU was able to retake the lead in the bottom half of the fifth. After a pair of singles - their first hits of the game - and a walk, Connor McKay tallied his third homerun of the year for a grand slam.

Milwaukee would not go away though. Nick Unes led off the sixth inning with a solo shot to right field. Then, Ryan Solberg took the very next pitch over the left-field wall to tie the game up at 6-6. UWM then retook the lead on an error that plated Taylor from third.

The Panthers added another in the top half of the seventh inning to stretch the lead to 8-6. Following two walks and an error to load the bases full of Panthers, Taylor notched his first RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Ghelfi.

"We elevated some pitches and we had a bunch of big hits today, which we had not been getting - two out hits, extra-base hits with guys in scoring position and a couple homeruns, as well," Doffek said.

"Like I said yesterday, that's the sign of a good team when you don't lay down and today was a good example of that again. They took it personal and went to their instinct and that's to fight and that's exactly what I'm hoping for."

Kansas was able to mount a rally in the bottom of the eighth, however. With two down and runners on first and second, Ka'iana Eldredge hit a ground rule double to make cut the lead to 8-7 before Blair Beck hit a two-run double to give Kansas the lead and the win.

Milwaukee wraps up its stint at the Snowbird Classic with its final game of the series Sunday against St. Bonaventure. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST.