MILWAUKEE - Senior Joe Pavlovich threw seven shutout innings and freshman Daulton Varsho and junior Nick Unes hit back-to-back home runs to propel the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team to a 5-0 victory over Oakland University Thursday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field.
 
The Panthers (33-18, 14-13 Horizon League) manufactured a run in the first inning against the Grizzlies (10-36, 5-22 Horizon League) that held up until Varsho and Unes each blasted round-trippers down the right field foul line in the fourth to make it 3-0 at the time.
 
"It starts with good pitching – Pav did a good job," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "And we found a way to grind out a run early in the game and the two home runs gave us a cushion. More than the shutout or any of that, it's just about playing good, sound baseball. It starts with throwing strikes, playing defense and tacking together good at bats. Hopefully tomorrow we can come out and do the same."
 
Pavlovich (6-1) did the rest, lowering his ERA on the season to 2.90 with 7.0 innings of work, allowing just four hits. He did walk three but struck out four, including the side in the first inning.
 
Senior Derek Peake paced the 10-hit attack with a perfect 3-for-3 day and has now gone 19-for-37 (.514) in a nine-game red-hot hitting streak. Unes added a second hit, with junior leadoff man Luke Meeteer recording a hit, scoring a run and extending his league-leading and school-record stolen base total to 32 with a steal on the day.
 
With two on and no out in the third inning and clinging to a 1-0 advantage, Pavlovich got a strike out, pop out and fly ball to thwart the OU rally. He retired all but one batter from the fourth through the sixth innings, getting some help on some impressive catches in the outfield by Meeteer and Peake.
 
"Our outfield was extremely good," Doffek said. "Meeteer was all over the place and Peake made a great play in right center. Those are huge plays. If those balls fall in, you never know what can happen."
 
Juniors Cal Haley and Jake Tuttle each worked a scoreless inning to help the Panthers record their third shutout of the season.
 
Up next, the Panthers and Grizzlies get to head to Miller Park for a fun day of baseball at the MLB stadium. Game time is set for 6 p.m. with a tailgate in the parking lot sponsored by the Milwaukee Athletic Department set to begin at 3:30 p.m.