VALPARAISO, Ind. - Dalton Lundeen threw a three-hit shutout to lead Valparaiso University over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team by a score of 6-0 Friday afternoon at Emory Bauer Field.
 
The Panthers (26-16, 10-11 Horizon League) came out on the short end of a game that was a pitcher's duel until the Crusaders (18-22, 13-8 Horizon League) rallied late to tilt the final outcome more heavily in their favor.
 
Junior Brian Keller (3-5) took the loss, but had allowed just one run until the eighth inning. His final line was not indicative of how he pitched, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out six.
 
"Brian did a good job of minimizing their offense early on and gave us a great chance to win a ballgame," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "Lundeen really threw the ball well and we couldn't seem to get anything going. We have been swinging the bats really well lately, so to get shutout is disappointing. But, tomorrow is a new day."
 
Lundeen was impressive, holding the normally offensive-minded UWM lineup to just a trio of hits. Two of them came in the fourth when senior Sam Koenig and junior Mitch Ghelfi each singled. But, Lundeen got back-to-back flyouts to end that threat.
 
Senior Tell Taylor had the other base hit. Lundeen also stranded a leadoff walk in the seventh when the game was still 1-0, closing out the frame with consecutive punchouts. For the day, he walked one and struck out five, needing 117 pitches for the complete-game shutout.
 
Keller pitched in and out of trouble all day and made just one pitch that cost him over the first seven-plus innings and that came on the first toss of the day. Spencer Mahoney sent the first pitch he saw over the fence in right field, handing the Crusaders a 1-0 lead that they held until breaking it open in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Keller whiffed back-to-back batters to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first and induced a pair of groundouts to thwart one-out rally with runners on second and third in the second. A strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play also ended the sixth.
 
Game two of the series will get underway Saturday at noon.