TUCSON, Ariz. – The Milwaukee baseball team plated seven runs in the fifth inning to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 lead in claiming a 10-4 victory over Arizona Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field.
The Panthers (6-2) pounded out 15 hits against the Wildcats (7-4), evening the series at one game apiece against a team that came into the weekend receiving votes in the national polls.
"It was an interesting game for sure," head coach
Scott Doffek said. "I thought that for the first time this year we showed maturity in the box. We kept grinding away at bats and got some timely hits. And our bullpen did a fantastic job, putting up seven zeros against a very good lineup."
Four different players recorded multi-hit efforts, led by three hits apiece from
Joe Vyskocil (3-for-5/R) and
Mitchell Buban (3-for-6/3 RBI). Buban's three runs batted in give him a league-leading 12 on the young season and already eclipse his season total (11) from a year ago.
Devin Rybacki (2 hits/2 RBI/R) and
Colin Kreiter (2 hits/R/RBI) also had quality nights at the plate.
Austin Wells paced Arizona with a 3-for-3 showing.
The game changed in the fifth. Trailing, 4-2, the Panthers went to work after the first two batters recorded outs on the first two pitches of the frame. Vyskocil singled and Kreiter then walked, with both scoring on a double to left center off the bat of
Tyler Bordner.
Following a pitching change, MKE got its next two runs courtesy of an error and a passed ball. Rybacki followed that with a single through the right side that plated a pair and Buban's RBI single to left brought in the seventh run of the rally.
Buban added another run in the seventh on a double down the right field line.
More quality pitching came through.
Alex McIntosh (1-0) came on in relief in the fifth, getting through the next two innings without allowing a run.
Patrick Tomfohrde then closed it out, picking up the 3-inning save with an impressive outing. He allowed just three hits in his scoreless appearance, walking no one while adding three strikeouts.
The series finale gets underway Sunday, set for a first pitch of 12 p.m. CST.
