BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A combination of strong pitching from Milwaukee baseball's
Austin Schulfer and back-to-back homeruns by
Colin Kreiter and
Ben Chally gave the Panthers a split in Friday's doubleheader with UAB at Young Memorial Field.
Milwaukee (3-10) earned a comeback win taking the first game 6-4 against the Blazers (6-7), but struggled to get the offense going in the second game falling 10-0.
Panthers'
Austin Schulfer (1-2) struggled in the first two innings of game one allowing three runs on three hits, but settled down as the game continued to earn the win in eight innings pitched, with a five hit and seven strikeout stat line.
Down 3-0 after five innings of play, the Milwaukee offense evened the score thanks to back-to-back homeruns from
Colin Kreiter and
Ben Chally. With momentum on their side, Schulfer sat the Blazer batters down in order for a one-two-three inning in the bottom half.
In the top of the eighth, the Milwaukee bats erupted once again for three runs to go ahead, 6-3. After a Panther ground out,
Trevor Schwecke began the rally with a walk on four straight pitches and eventually advanced to second after Kreiter singled up the middle. Chally lived up to clean-up spot in the lineup hitting a rope down the right field line for the go-ahead run. The Panthers added two more runs from a
Tyler Bordner sac fly, and a clutch pinch hit single from
Joe Vyskocil.
UAB threatened to tie the game in its last chance at-bats after the Panthers committed two errors and the game-tying run at the plate, but George Sweedie wrapped up the game getting Brett Blackwood to foul out to end the game.
The Panthers combined for 10 hits with Kreiter (3-for-5 2 RBI) and
Ben Chally (2-for-4 2 RBI) leading the way.
In game two, Milwaukee dug a hole early finding themselves down 10-0 after four innings of play after allowing seven hits and committing three errors.
In the top of the fifth inning,
Joe Vyskocil began the inning with a single, and
Mitch Buban singled to right field to put runners at first and second. The Panther offense was stalled there, however, as Blazers's pitcher Ryan Ruggles put out the next two batters.
Throughout the game, Milwaukee scattered six hits with
Trevor Schwecke leading the way with a two-hit performance at the plate.
The final game of the series has been moved up yet again due to projected rain. Game time between the Panthers and Blazers will now begin at 11 a.m.
