HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Austin Schulfer shines in the Milwaukee baseball doubleheader split with Northern Kentucky having struck out 15 Norse batters Friday at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
The Panthers (9-17, 5-6) got a great start out of Schulfer that led to series opening 8-4 win against Northern Kentucky (7-19, 4-7), but were shutdown in the second game 8-2 ending the day in a split.
Of the 21 batters faced, Schulfer (3-4) fanned 15 Norse batters topping his own record (13) set a season ago. In the win, Schulfer allowed three runs (two earned), scattered five hits, and didn't walk a batter in seven innings of work. Schulfer struck out the side twice and had at least two strikeouts for all but one inning where he struck out just one in the first inning.
"Schulfer was special today," said head coach
Scott Doffek. "He had everything working and offensively we put together some quality at-bats up and down the lineup."
Mike Ferri began the game with a single down the left field line and advanced to third after back-to-back wild pitches. Following Ferri,
Trevor Schwecke knocked in his 14
th RBI of the season with a single scoring Ferri to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
A two-run homerun came off the bat of Northern Kentucky's Jake Richmond giving the Norse the 2-1, but the lead didn't last as the Panthers answered right back in the top of the fifth with a solo shot from
Matt Quartel to tie the game at two.
Milwaukee tagged a run in next two innings followed by a four-run eighth inning securing the win. NKU tallied a run in the sixth and ninth inning, but Panthers'
Patrick Tomfohrde and
Nick Winter sealed the deal allowing one run on two hits between the two.
The tides were turned against the Panthers in game two where the offense was quieted by Norse's Sam Williams who allowed just two Panther runs on five hits and three strikeouts. In the game, Milwaukee managed seven hits, but platted just two.
"I really liked our at-bats to be honest," said Doffek. "We had a lot of hard contact in the second game, but it just wasn't falling in our favor."
Milwaukee jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to two extra base hits produced by
Devin Rybacki and
Trevor Schwecke. Rybacki tripled to right field scoring Quartel, and Schwecke doubled allowing Rybacki to cross the plate.
The Panthers lead was short-lived however as the Norse responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
NKU followed a three-run third with a four-run fourth while adding a single run in the seventh to earn a split.
"Right now, it's the inability to repeat quality pitches early the game," said Doffek. "NKU has the most power in our league and if you don't execute, the ball can leave the yard in a hurry and that's what happened."
Trevor Schwecke paced the Panthers today tallying four hits, two RBI and a double.
With pending weather, the final game of the series will be held on Sun., April 8 with a start time of 12 p.m. (CT).
