WESTFIELD, Ind. - Senior Sam Koenig hit a three-run home run in the 11^th inning to propel the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 9-6 victory over Youngstown State University Sunday at Grand Park.
 
The Panthers (10-4, 2-1 Horizon League) overcame a large deficit against the Penguins (3-7, 1-2 Horizon League) for the second straight day, coming back from a four-run hole in the eighth inning to take the series and help the team set a record for its best start through 14 games. At 10-4, Milwaukee tops the previous-best mark of 9-5 set by both the 2001 and 1995 squads.
 
"Today was a grinder," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "We found ourselves behind four runs but the guys kept fighting. The Youngstown hitters really made us work for outs all day long. Fortunately, we came up with a couple of huge two-out hits in Tell's triple and Sam's big three-run bomb. We need to have great week of practice and shore up some fundamentals, but it's a good thing to win a league series on the road."
 
The bullpen had a hand in the win yet again, pitching out of jams in the ninth and 10^th innings to keep UWM in line for the chance to get the win.
 
"Our bullpen deserves a lot of credit once again," Doffek said. "We were put in some tough situations with some infield hits and they overcame and executed to give our hitters a chance."
 
Koenig finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Senior Derek Peake (2-for-4, 2 runs) and junior Mitch Ghelfi (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI) also had big days at the plate. Alex Larivee led the YSU offense with two hits, including a home run, and a pair of runs scored.
 
Senior Cody Peterson (1-0) picked up the victory and continued his phenomenal campaign as the Milwaukee closer. He worked 2.2 shutout frames, putting out Youngstown rallies in the ninth and 10th.
 
He entered the game with runners on first and second in the last of the ninth, inducing a double play to send the game to extras. In the 10^th, YSU had the bases loaded after a pair of infield hits and an intentional walk. Peterson put out the rally, catching a bunt attempt back to him and getting a ground ball to end the threat.
 
That set the stage for UWM to rally in the 11^th. Junior Luke Meeteer was hit by a pitch with one out and stole his 13^th base of the season. Following a walk and a fly ball, Koenig came to bat with two outs. He sent the 1-2 pitch to left field for his third home run of the season and a 9-6 lead for the Panthers. The Penguins had a one-out baserunner, but a double play ended the contest.
 
Milwaukee trailed three different times on the day, including deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, and the game was knotted at 2-2 when YSU struck for a pair in the fifth inning. The Penguins added what seemed to be huge insurance runs in the seventh, scoring a pair in the inning including the final one on a balk.
 
The game changed in the eighth. Meeteer singled, Peake walked and Ghelfi doubled them both home. Koenig got hit after a pitching change and a ground out scored another. Senior Tell Taylor then came through with two outs, with his triple scoring Koenig to make it a new game at 6-6.
 
Senior Joe Pavlovich started and worked into the fifth, allowing three earned runs. UWM used seven pitchers on the day, with senior Gunnar Eastman (1.0 IP) and sophomore Zach Brenner (1.0 IP, 2 K) both playing key roles out of the pen along with Peterson.
 
The Panthers are once again off from any midweek action before heading to the state of Ohio to continue Horizon League play at Wright State March 20-22.