PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Milwaukee baseball team played well in the 2018 season opener, collecting 16 hits, but was unable to hold on to a late lead in falling, 11-7, to Ohio State Friday morning at the Snowbird Baseball Classic down in Florida.
 
The Panthers (0-1) were in control until a late rally by the Buckeyes (1-0).
 
"We talk every day about doing the ordinary things," head coach Scott Doffek said. "Throwing strikes at this level is ordinary and we just didn't enough of that obviously … we beat ourselves for sure."
 
The offense had no problem adjusting from the Wisconsin cold to the 80-degree weather in Port Charlotte, with Matt Quartel (3-for-4), Mike Ferri (3-for-5) and Colin Kreiter (3-for-5) providing big days.
 
Kreiter's UWM debut included a pair of runs batted in. Trevor Schwecke went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs, while newcomer Tyler Bordner was 2-for-3 and scored twice.
 
"Offensively and defensively (no errors), we played very well," Doffek said. "I loved our fight when we got down late. Proud of the fight, for sure, but just not going to win ball games giving up that many free passes."
 
The Buckeyes saw two players carry the team, with Noah McGowan (6) and Albert Cowles (4) combining for 10 runs batted in on the day. They were helped along by nine walks and two hit batters by the UWM staff.
 
Down 2-0 after the first, Milwaukee started chipping away. Kreiter's RBI-triple in the fourth got one back and Oakland Scanlon followed with a single through the right side later in the frame to make it 2-2.
 
The team would then go ahead that inning, taking a 3-2 advantage when Joe Vyskocil dumped a base hit down the right field line.
 
Quartel added a two-out, two-strike insurance run on a single in the sixth. Bordner and Kreiter would tack on RBI's in the seventh to stake Milwaukee to that 6-2 lead.
 
However, the Panthers saw Ohio State rally with a four-run bottom of the inning to make it a new game at 6-6, with a bases-clearing double by Cowles providing the damage.
 
No problem for Milwaukee, which used three bunts in a row to retake the 7-6 lead, with Ferri's suicide squeeze providing the scoring.
 
Just like that, OSU responded again. After loading the bases with nobody out, the Panthers nearly escaped by getting a line out and a strikeout. The inning would turn at that point, with a walk tying the game and back-to-back 2-out hits doing the rest.
 
Lost in the final innings was a fantastic start by Austin Schulfer. The senior right-hander worked around some trouble caused by four walks and two hit batters, but was brilliant after giving up two runs in the first. He ended his day with 6.0 strong innings, allowing two hits and three runs while striking out eight.
 
"Schulfer was electric at times but also fought his command," Doffek said. "He certainly gave a good a chance to win a ball game."
 
The team is back at it tomorrow, taking on Canisius at 11 a.m. CST.