MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team nearly overcame a three-run deficit in the 12^th inning against Valparaiso University, dropping an 11-10 decision Thursday at Henry Aaron Field in the 2015 home opener.
 
The Panthers (12-9, 3-6 Horizon League) continue to be snake-bitten, suffering their seventh one-run loss of the season as well as their fourth in extra innings. The Crusaders (10-14, 6-3 Horizon League) trailed from the start and did not tie the game until the eighth inning. Their lead in the 12^th was the only one of the day for the visitors.
 
"It's been really tough. We have lost nine ball games by a total of 11 runs," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "That's mathematically hard to do. But, we are in one of those ruts where if we score a lot, we give up a lot and if we don't give up much, we don't score much. But that's baseball some times. We have to figure out a way to play the game regardless of the scoreboard at all times. We beat ourselves a little bit on the mound and a little bit on defense."
 
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the second inning but could never pull away. Each time the Panther offense hung runs up on the scoreboard, the Crusaders would follow suit.
 
"That has been our issue," Doffek said. "After you score, it is so critical to put up a zero, especially in college baseball. It's a momentum game and when you can't put up that zero, the momentum shifts right back to their dugout."
 
UWM never gave up. Down to its final out with no one on base in the bottom of the 12^th inning, back-to-back base hits brought the tying run to the plate. Junior Luke Meeteer then tripled to make it 11-10, but Zack Walsh induced a comebacker to earn the save and wrap up the win for Valpo.
 
"I am proud of the guys in that way," Doffek said. "They never gave up … that is a really good character trait."
 
Senior Mike Porcaro led the Milwaukee offense, tying career highs with four hits and four runs batted in, while also blasting his first home run of the season. He has nine hits in his last 14 at bats (.643) and for the second straight game came up to the plate in his fourth at bat with a chance to hit for the cycle, coming up a triple short of the feat.
 
Senior Ryan McShane also homered, finishing with two hits and two runs scored. Senior Sam Koenig extended his hitting streak to 21 games and Meeteer finished with two hits, two RBI and his 15^th stolen base of the season. Junior Mitch Ghelfi was 1-for-1 in his six plate appearances, adding three walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sac fly on the day.
 
Six players recorded multi-hit outings for Valparaiso, led by three hits apiece from Spencer Mahoney (2 runs, 3 RBI) and Josh Clark. Shea Molitor scored four runs.
 
Junior Brian Keller started for UWM and was in line for the win until the eighth inning. He worked 6.1 innings, allowing five earned runs in recording four strikeouts.
 
Bryce Yoder (1-0) picked up the victory, throwing four scoreless frames late in the day before the final two runs were charged to his line.
 
The game was even at 2-2 in the third and 4-4 in the fourth before UWM took a 7-4 advantage in the fifth on a two-RBI single by Porcaro and a Valpo error. The teams swapped runs in the sixth but the Crusaders added two in the seventh to get back within one at 8-7. They proceeded to knot the game in the eighth on a base hit, with the runner stepping on home plate just seconds before the third out was made at third base.
 
The teams are right back at it tomorrow, with game two starting at 1 p.m.