HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Milwaukee baseball team overcame a late deficit to lead Northern Kentucky, but could not close out the victory in falling by a final score of 6-5 in game two of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
The Panthers (7-11, 0-3 Horizon League) rallied late against the Norse (6-10, 3-0 Horizon League), tying the game in the seventh inning on a base hit by
Trevor Schwecke before going ahead on an RBI-single by
Jeremy Wright, both with two outs.
The lead would not hold up, however, as NKU plated a pair of unearned runs in its half of the eighth to escape with the win, finishing off a sweep of the doubleheader.
"We are in a bad place right now," Milwaukee head coach
Scott Doffek said. "That was certainly not the start we were looking for to open league play. I thought our energy was good all weekend long, but we lost focus here and there and that killed us. NKU really swung the bats well in all three games and I give them credit. But we have to be much better mentally, it's that simple."
Down, 4-1, in the fifth inning, Milwaukee started a rally courtesy of a two-run home run by
Daulton Varsho, his fifth of the season, to get it to 4-3.
In the seventh, singles by
Ben Chally and
Cole Heili put two on with two outs. Schwecke came through next with the big pinch-hit single and Wright followed suit, giving UWM the lead nine outs away from the victory. But, the Norse rallied in the eighth, helped along by a miscue in the field after there was nobody on base and two outs in the frame.
Five different players tallied two hits apiece:
Chris Kelly, Varsho, Chally and Heili were all 2-for-5, while
Mike Jordahl contributed a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate.
Jake Richmond keyed the Norse offense, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBI.
Jay Peters started and pitched 6.0 innings, allowing four runs. He walked one and struck out three.
Brandon Parr (1-2) suffered the loss, giving up four hits and two unearned runs in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen.
In the opener, Milwaukee jumped right on the scoreboard in the first, getting a run on Chally's RBI-single. That was short-lived, however, as the Norse responded with three in their half of the first and another in the second to take momentum at 4-1.
The lead was 5-1 in the sixth when the Panthers clawed back in.
Matt Quartel knocked in one with a double and
John Boidanis' sac fly had UWM within two at 5-3.
Chally walked with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh to force in a run and get within one at 5-4, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat and the Norse answered with two runs in their half of the seventh to close out the scoring.
Chally (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1R) and
Devin Rybacki (3-for-4) paced the 13-hit attack. Varsho was 2-for-4, as was Heili.
Adam Reuss (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs in 4.0 innings. He walked a pair and struck out three.
Up next, league play remains on the docket, as the Panthers head to Ohio to take on Wright State next weekend for a three-game series. The opener is set for a first pitch of 5:30 p.m. CST Friday.
