April 13, 2014

Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio - Junior Tell Taylor hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and got out of a bases-loaded no-out jam on the mound in the ninth, only to see Wright State University prevail over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team in the 12th inning to win 6-5 Sunday at Nischwitz Stadium.

The Panthers (10-15, 4-5 Horizon League) led the Raiders (18-16, 12-2 Horizon League) in the ninth inning for the second time in the three-game series, but could not find a way to pull out the victory.

"Just a really tough result today," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We were two outs away from coming down here and winning the series. That last out can be tough to get sometimes. Again, I thought we stung the ball all day, but really ran into some tough luck and they did a good job of making pitches in critical situations."

With UWM up a run at 5-4, WSU loaded the bases in the last of the ninth inning. A walk forced in the tying run, but Taylor came on in relief to record a strikeout and induce a double play to keep Milwaukee alive and send the game to extra innings.

The Panthers threatened in the 11th, putting runners on first and third with just one out. However, the runners were left stranded after consecutive pop-outs ended the frame.

The Raiders got a leadoff double in the 12th. A pair of intentional walks sandwiched a sac bunt, loading the bases with just one out. Jack Murphy then decided the outcome, flaring a single down the right field line to plate the walk-off run and complete the sweep.

"We have half the season left yet," Doffek said. "Our job is to learn from history, take the information and apply it. This is a great group of kids and I know they will step up."

Taylor finished 2-for-5 at the plate, including that long home run to left field that had given UWM the late lead. Junior Mike Porcaro had a two-hit, two-RBI day, helping Milwaukee jump out to a 2-0 lead after the first two batters of the game, blasting his first home run of the season to get the scoring started quickly.

Seniors Pat Wilson and Ryan Solberg each had RBI-base hits in the third inning, handing the Panthers a 4-0 advantage at the time.

Redshirt freshman Justin Langley got the start and worked into the sixth, allowing four earned runs, striking out two.

Junior Justin Jaquish fanned a pair in 2.1 innings and Taylor was magnificent in relief, finishing with the longest outing of his brief pitching career in working 3.0 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit while also striking out two.

The team is in the midst of a stretch of eight games in nine days and will be back on the road again next, traveling to Evanston, Ill., Tuesday for a battle against Big Ten foe Northwestern. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.