MILWAUKEE, Wis. – In a highly anticipated game, the Milwaukee baseball team came up short, 4-3, against first place Wright State Saturday evening from Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
 
Milwaukee (20-25, 11-11) hit the long ball scoring two of their three runs, but costly running mistakes and free bases to Wright State (32-15, 19-6) came up to bite the team in the end, falling 4-3 in 10 innings.
 
"We swung the bats really well against their arm (Ryan Weiss) who I think will be a top five round draft pick," said Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek. "On the flip side, we only gave up five hits, but three of the four runs we allowed through 10 innings were produced by a walk or hit by pitch, and against a very good team like that, you can't give up free bases and that's what ultimately beat us."
 
The Panthers racked up three hits right away in the first, and got an early start after junior Matt Quartel plated the first run of the game with a single to left center scoring Trevor Schwecke.
 
Second on the team in RBI's, Wright State's Peyton Burdick collected RBI number 49 and 50 with a two-run homerun over the left field wall, giving the Raiders the 2-1 advantage in the top of the third inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers showed their power with two solo homeruns to regain the lead. Milwaukee got a leadoff homer from sophomore Mike Ferri, his second of the season, to tie the game at two. One out later, Tyler Bodner collected his fifth homerun to take a 3-2 lead over the Raiders.
 
Ferri continued with the hot bat leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double to left center, but pinch runner Joey Scaffidi got caught off guard and ended up being picked off ending the Panthers threat from scoring.
 
"I thought we gave them the game quite honestly," said head coach Scott Doffek. "I think we could have had that game in control, but we made outs on the base paths that you can't make."
 
Two innings later, in the bottom of the eighth, Milwaukee had the opportunity to break the 3-3 tie with bases loaded and one out, but a suicide squeeze attempt was executed well on behalf of Wright State throwing the ball down and out away from Mitch Buban and tag baserunner Matt Quartel. Buban ended the inning with a foul out to the first baseman leaving everyone square at three.
 
Milwaukee had six total walks in the game, and none more costly than in the top of the tenth. After a fly out, the Panthers walked the next three Raider batters loading the bases for Alex Alders. On a 1-1 count, Alders hit the next ball to center field, deep enough to score JD Orr on third to take the lead.
 
In their last chance at-bats, the Panthers went down in order, falling by a score of 4-3.

The Panthers totaled 13 hits with four Panthers having two hit performances.
 
On the mound, senior Austin Schulfer had a no decision pitching 7.2 solid innings, allowing three runs on four hits and five strikeouts.

The series will conclude Sun., May 13 with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. from Henry Aaron field.