VALPARAISO, Ind. - The Milwaukee baseball team let a pair of seventh-inning leads slip away in falling to Valparaiso University in both games of a doubleheader Saturday at Emory G. Bauer Field.
 
"That was just a tough day at the yard," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "Keller pitched well and gave us a good start and unfortunately, we weren't able to execute down the stretch."
 
The Panthers (16-18, 6-6 Horizon League) put themselves in position for conference victories on the road in both ends of the twinbill, but were unable to close the deal against the Crusaders (17-18, 10-5 Horizon League), falling by scores of 5-3 and 7-6.
 
"Game two was similar in that we jumped out to a lead, but beat ourselves on defense and on the mound. We left a ton of runners on base late in that game and they kicked our butt with two-out hitting all day. If we are going to make a run, we have to start making teams pay with runners in scoring position. We have to flush this and come out tomorrow and play with passion and execute."
 
Brian Keller pitched well enough to win in the opener, with the Panthers slowly building a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning. Valparaiso plated two in the bottom of the sixth to get within a run and chase Keller, who finished the day allowing three runs, walking one and striking out seven while not figuring in the decision.
 
The Crusaders then went ahead on a two-out, two-strike single to right by Shea Molitor that plated a pair of runs and made it 4-3 on the scoreboard. They would tack on an insurance run in the eighth.
 
The offense had just five hits, led by Dan Barwick who tied his career-high with three hits. Daulton Varsho and John Boidanis also collected safeties.
 
UWM struck for all of its runs in the fifth. Barwick singled home a run, Billy Quirke chased one in on a fielder's choice and Dan Detert added a sac fly.
 
Barwick also made a great play with one out in the seventh to save a run when it was 3-2 at the time, going back on a deep drive and making a great catch on the warning track with a runner in scoring position.
 
Milwaukee led 2-0, trailed 3-2 but then rallied with three runs in the fifth to hold a 5-3 advantage into the sixth inning of game two.
 
Errors undid the damage, as five of the seven runs that UWM allowed on the day were of the unearned variety.
 
Luke Meeteer had a big game, starting with a single to center to make it 2-0 in the third. After Valpo had gone ahead with three unearned tallies in its half of the third, Meeteer singled again to make it a 3-3 game. Another run scored on a wild pitch and Meeteer then came home on a groundout to give the Panthers a 5-3 lead.
 
The Crusaders got one back in the sixth and then forged ahead in the seventh, with Jake Hanson knocking in a pair with a single and another coming home on a wild pitch to put the home team up two at 7-5.
 
The Panthers had a golden opportunity to rally in the eighth, but could only bring in one run after loading the bases with no outs when Meeteer drew a one-out walk. The Valpo relief corps recorded a trio of strikeouts to keep UWM at bay.
 
Milwaukee got back-to-back singles to open the ninth and had the tying run in scoring position with no outs, but a perfectly executed pickoff play was followed by a fly out and a strikeout to end the contest.
 
Meeteer finished with two hits and three RBI, while Billy Quirke had a team-high three hits and scored twice. Boidanis finished 2-for-4. Jay Peters started, working into the fifth before running into trouble. He allowed three unearned runs, walking one and striking out five.
 
The Panthers are right back at it tomorrow, returning to Henry Aaron Field for a doubleheader against UIC. Game one will start at 12 p.m.