MILWAUKEE - Brian Keller struck out a career-high 11 batters in a complete game shutout, leading the Milwaukee baseball team to a 6-0 victory over Northern Kentucky University Friday at Henry Aaron Field.
 
The Panthers (19-19, 8-7 Horizon League) grabbed a 2-0 lead over the Norse (15-28, 4-16 Horizon League) in the first inning and let Keller do the rest, picking up his second shutout of the season and sixth career complete game.
 
"Special. No walks, three hits and struck out 11," head coach Scott Doffek said. "It was really good. He was working both sides of the plate with three or four pitches. When he gets going like that, he's pretty darn good."
 
Keller (6-3) gave up back-to-back hits to lead off the game and then got out of trouble, getting a strikeout and ground out to end the threat after a sac bunt had runners on second and third with one out.
 
He was brilliant the rest of the way, allowing just one more base hit wile recording the next 27 outs.
 
"He did a great job of executing some huge pitches in that first inning and that is where the game can weigh on their side," Doffek said. "If you allow them to execute, get a bunt down, drive in those runs and all of a sudden we are down 2-0 and we haven't even batted yet. He made some big pitches and put up a zero."
 
He ended the day with a career-best 11 K's, walking zero batters in allowing the three hits. He retired 17 of 18 batters following the consecutive base hits to open the game and never reached a three-ball count in the entire contest. The game was over in a tidy 2 hours, 6 minutes with Keller throwing 110 pitches, 84 for strikes.
 
After Keller got out of the first-inning jam, Milwaukee struck quickly. Billy Quirke, Eric Solberg and Luke Meeteer all singled to load the bases and Daulton Varsho added a four-pitch walk to force in a run. Nick Unes drove in another with a groundout and that turned out to be all Keller would need.
 
Unes would strike again, however, lacing a double to right center to drive in a run in the fourth and would eventually score on John Boidanis' sac fly to make it 4-0. Two more runs would come home on wild pitches in the sixth to round out the scoring.
 
The offense had nine hits off of Norse pitching, with Quirke (2-for-5) and Boidanis (2-for-3) each ending the day with multiple-hit efforts. Unes scored a pair and knocked in two.
 
Keller improved to 4-0 in his six Horizon League starts this season, posting a 1.85 ERA and 44 strikeouts (and just eight walks) in 43.2 innings of work.
 
Saturday's game has had the start time moved up one hour and will now start at 12 p.m. due to the forecast of rain later in the day.