KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Milwaukee baseball team allowed things to get interesting in the ninth inning, but held on for a 9-8 victory over Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon at the D9 Sunshine State Classic.
The Panthers (3-0) took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth before the Pitt Panthers (1-3) rallied.
Jake Sommers got a strikeout to end the threat with the tying run at third and the potential winning run stranded at second base.
"In a lot of ways that was our best game of the weekend," head coach
Scott Doffek said. "We really did some nice things in the batter's box today against some good arms. We played good defense throughout the game and Mahoney was huge in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. That's a good win against a good opponent."
Joe Vyskocil led the offense with a 3-for-5 day, one of five players to record a multi-hit game. He was joined by
Devin Rybacki (2-for-5),
Mike Ferri (2-for-5, HR),
JJ Eduardo (2-for-4) and
Matt Quartel (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI).
Mitchell Buban drove in a team-high three runs.
Connor Perry paced Pittsburgh with a 3-for-5 effort, scoring three times.
Milwaukee overcame deficits of 2-0 and 4-2, forging ahead with a five-run fourth inning. After getting a run off an error, Quartel singled up the middle to make it a new game at 4-4.
Buban came through with a clutch two-run single to center on the first pitch of his at bat and
Colin Kreiter also singled in a run to make it 7-4.
Pitt got one back in the bottom of the frame, with Milwaukee answering with two more in the fifth to make it 9-5. Ferri homered to left on the first pitch and Quartel would later add a sac fly.
It stayed that way until the ninth. Sommers came on to close it, but three straight hits made it 9-7 and then back-to-back walks and a fielder's choice tightened it to a 9-8 game with the tying run 90 feet away. Sommers came through, getting a strikeout to lock up the undefeated weekend for Milwaukee in Florida.
Mike Edwards (1-0) picked up the victory despite allowing four earned runs in 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out four.
Jack Mahoney played a huge role in his season debut, throwing 2.1 scoreless frames, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
A trip to Mississippi is up next, with the Panthers set to take on Jackson State in four games over three days. Friday's opener is set for 6 p.m. CST.
