HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY. – Game two against Northern Kentucky featured five solo home runs of which four came off the bats of the Milwaukee baseball team, and provided the Panthers just enough run production to defeat the Norse by a score of 5-3 Saturday afternoon from the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
 
Redshirt junior Joe Vyskocil led the offensive charge for the Panthers (11-8, 3-2) by going 3-for-4, scoring two runs, with two RBI and two home runs on the day. Northern Kentucky (4-15, 3-2) got a solid outing from pitcher Kyle service (0-3) and brought the tying run up the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but MKE's Patrick Tomfohrde retired the last batter to pick up save No. 3 on the season.
 
"Today was just a good, clean baseball game," said head coach Scott Doffek. "We got a great start from Matt (Vanek) and we did just enough in the box to get the win."
 
Milwaukee got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning when Tyler Bordner hit a deep ball over the left field fence for his first of the season.
 
In the fourth, Vyskocil put MKE up by two with a solo shot to left center, but the Norse responded with a homerun of their own in the bottom half of the inning to stay within one run.
 
Thanks to two more solo home runs from Matt Quartel and Vyskocil, Milwaukee extended its lead 4-1 entering the seventh inning.
 
MKE's Matt Vanek got into a little bit of trouble in the bottom of the seventh, but surrendered just one run after getting the next three Norse batters to ground out. Vanek finished the game with a seven inning, two runs, four hit, seven strikeout stat line to pick up his third win of the season.
 
The Norse inched closer in the bottom of the  ninth inning after a balk, but Tomfohrde closed door when pinch hitter Brenden Alas took the first pitch he saw and grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.
 
Milwaukee will close out the series with the Norse Sunday from the Bill Aker Baseball Complex. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. (CT).