DAYTON, Ohio –  A record setting performance by pitcher Jared Reklaitis helped the Milwaukee baseball team stave off elimination from the Horizon League Baseball Championship with a 3-1 victory over Youngstown State Thursday evening from Nischwitz Stadium.
 
Reklaitis threw a one-run, complete game, walking just one batter while striking out 15 Penguins. The 15 strikeouts ties a Milwaukee single game strikeout record, set by Austin Schulfer earlier this season against NKU and sets a Horizon League Tournament record set back in 2010 at 13.
 
"Jared picked us up in a big way," said Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek. "You can't ask anything more from a guy who pitches 114 pitches, 81 of those pitches as strikes and 15 strikeouts – it was really special."
 
Offensively, Milwaukee jumped out to take the lead right away in the first inning scoring one run on four hits. Trevor Schwecke crossed the plate first when Mike Ferri singled up the middle followed by an infield single by Tyler Bordner to load the bases. First team All-League Ben Chally then ripped a shot in his third pitch of the at-bat, but the ball found the shortstops glove for an inning ending double play.
 
The Panthers struck again In the bottom of the sixth, adding two insurance runs taking advantage of a Penguin error. With Ben Chally and Mitch Buban already on base, Devin Rybacki ripped a bases clearing double extending the lead to three runs.
 
Youngstown State finally cracked the scoreboard and tallied a run on in the top of the eighth inning stringing together two hits, but the run came unearned after a Panther fielding error. Reklaitis closed the door in the next at-bat, however, by striking out leadoff hitter Trey Bridis to end the inning.
 
The game didn't end without a little drama, however, when YSU led off the inning with a walk and eventually brought the go-ahead run to the plate. With two outs, runners on second and third, Reklaitis did what he had done all game by pounding the zone and ending the game with a strikeout. Despite the two runners on base, Reklaitis struck out the side in the ninth to tie the record and marks just the 12^th time in program history where a pitcher recorded 12 strikeouts or more in a game.
 
The Panthers finished with 11 hits and Colin Kreiter leading the way. Kreiter finished with a 3-for-4 performance, while Devin Rybacki chipped in with two hits and two RBI.
 
With its survive and advance mentality, the Panthers will take on the loser of the No. 2 UIC vs. No. 1 Wright State game at 3 p.m. (CT).