MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – One swing of the bat changed the outcome for the Milwaukee baseball team as a two-out grand slam for the Minnesota Gophers led to a 5-4 loss this evening at U.S. Bank Stadium.
 
The Panthers (2-9) scored four runs in five innings, but a swing of the bat by Gopher's Cole McDevitt gave Minnesota (10-4) the lead and eventual win.
 
From the get-go, Milwaukee was aggressive at the plate and it paid off. On the very first pitch of the game, Mike Ferri led off with a double and eventually scored after a Gopher wild pitch and fielder's choice from Trevor Schwecke.
 
A quick one-two-three inning for Panthers' Alex McIntosh put the Panthers back up to bat. Again, the Panthers led off with another double, this time from Tyler Bordner. A couple of singles and walks later, the Panthers took the lead, 3-0.
 
Minnesota cut the gap in the bottom the second inning, but the Panthers took back a three-run lead after Colin Kreiter doubled to left center and was driven in by Matt Quartel on the 4-3 fielder's choice in the top of the fifth.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Minnesota's offense got hot beginning the inning with back-to-back singles. After a sacrifice bunt, the Gopher runners moved into scoring position to second and third. An untimely hit-by-pitch eventually loaded the bases for Minnesota with just one out, but Panthers' Alex Fischer recomposed and struck out the next batter for two outs.
 
Entering the sixth inning, McDevitt was already 2-for-2 and nowhere to put him. Ahead in the count, 1-0, McDevitt took the next pitch over the center field wall for a two-out grand slam putting the Gophers ahead, 5-4.
 
Milwaukee's best chance at scoring came right away in the top of the seventh inning with runners at second and third and one out, but were unable to come up with the clutch hit.
 
The Panthers left 10 runners on base in the game, five of which came in the last four innings.
 
"That was a tough loss," said head coach Scott Doffek. "We had a chance early in game to bust it wide open and just couldn't get the big hit. When you face a quality opponent like Minnesota, you can't let them hang around and that's exactly what we did. We are a young group though, and are learning on the fly against some good competition – these games will only make us better as the season unfolds."
 
Mike Ferri and Ben Chally recorded two hits each, while the Panther squad combined for four doubles in tonight's single game tilt.

Milwaukee will only have a couple days to regroup as they travel to Birmingham, Ala. for a three game series against UAB beginning March 9.