COLUMBIA, Mo. - Senior Joe Pavlovich allowed just two hits in 6.0 innings and struck out seven to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 3-1 victory over the University of Missouri Sunday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.
 
"Pav was really good today," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "He made some huge pitches when he needed to and the bullpen was sharp again from the seventh inning on, which is very encouraging."
 
With the victory, the Panthers (8-3) complete the sweep of the Tigers (10-4), a team that entered the weekend with just one loss on the season and receiving votes in the national polls. It also gives Milwaukee the best 11-game start in program history.
 
"We made some tough plays on defense that got us in the dugout when the game was on the line," Doffek said. "It was another clean game of baseball today and it was fun to watch."
 
Senior Tell Taylor led the offense with a 2-for-3 day, scoring a run. Senior Sam Koenig extended his hitting streak to 11 games and scored an insurance run in the seventh inning. Junior Luke Meeteer added a hit, scored a run and stole his 10^th base of the season.
 
Junior Nick Unes and senior Derek Peake had key RBI's and freshman Daulton Varsho had a base hit and threw out a pair of key base runners on steal attempts.
 
"Varsho was special behind the plate today … he was really impressive," Doffek said. "We did just enough with the bats to get the win. They have some very good arms and it was a grind in the batter's box all weekend long."
 
Pavlovich (1-0) faced just one batter over the minimum over the first four innings and did not allow a base hit until the fifth. He worked out of trouble the only time Missouri had a runner in scoring position, inducing a fly out and recording a strikeout in the sixth when the Tigers had runners on second and third with just one out.
 
His only mistake on the day came to open the seventh, when Zach Lavy hit the first pitch of the bottom of the inning for a home run. That ended Pavlovich's day, but the Milwaukee bullpen was up to the task again, working three shutout innings. Sophomore Adam Reuss took care of the seventh, senior Gunnar Eastman the eighth and senior Cody Peterson the ninth, retiring the side in order for his third save.
 
Milwaukee scored early again, plating an unearned run in the first on a double-play ball. The Panthers made it 2-0 in the sixth on Peake's sac fly and 3-0 in the seventh on Unes' two-out single.
 
Up next, the Panthers are off for any midweek action before heading to the state of Ohio to open Horizon League play at Youngstown State March 13-15.