Panthers Sweep Penguins
 
MEQUON, Wis. – Picking up from where they left off Friday at Kapco Park, the Milwaukee Panthers finished off Youngstown State 22-2 and 8-5 in Saturday's doubleheader to sweep the series.
 
Milwaukee (19-13, 8-6) combined for 30 runs and 33 hits in the doubleheader, while limiting Youngstown State (8-28, 4-11) seven runs and 17 hits. In total, the Panthers tallied 38 runs on 58 hits in the three-game series sweep.
 
In game one, the Panthesr derailed the Penguins scoring in all but two innings and put up a nine-spot in the fourth inning.
 
"We were very competitive in the box and didn't throw at-bats away," said head Coach Scott Doffek. "We had another big inning in the fourth putting up a nine spot and just rolled with it."
 
Milwaukee jumped out to 4-0 lead after three innings of play then followed-up with a crooked number in the fourth.
 
The inning started when senior Matt Quartel reached on an error by the shortstop and eventually scored when Mike Ferri singled to left field driving in Quartel and Devin Rybacki who singled before.
 
The Panthers kept producing so much that Quartel came back around the order for a second time. The inning finally came to a close with Joe Vyskocil, but not before the Panthers tallied nine runs on seven hits for a commanding 13-0 lead.
 
Youngstown State put two on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth with four hits in the inning, but starter Jared Reklaitis (4-4) kept the Penguin batters in check throughout the game.
 
"Jared did a really nice job of setting the tone early," said Doffek. "He commanded his pitches well, and overall it was a nice start for him."
 
After the fifth leading 14-2, the Panthers tacked on an additional eight runs in the sixth and seventh inning to close out a 22-2 game one victory.
 
Trevor Schwecke and Jack Thelen led the Panther hitting barrage with four hits apiece, including a home run and a career high six-RBI from Thelen.
 
In game two of the doubleheader, YSU jumped out on top right out of the gates scoring two quick runs in the first.
 
Leading 3-0 after two and a half innings of play, MKE answered back with three runs of their own.
 
With one out, Devin Rybacki at second and Mike Ferri at first from a single and a walk, Schwecke tripled to right center scoring Rybacki and Ferri and come within one of YSU's 3-2 lead. Joe Vyskocil then hit a sacrifice fly to center, deep enough to score Schwecke and tie the game.
 
YSU's Blaze Glenn broke the tie hitting his second two-run home run in the fifth, but the lead didn't last long. Milwaukee tied it at five-all in the bottom half of the inning when Schwecke snuck past the catcher's tag after a wild pitch.
 
After singles from Schwecke and Kreiter in the seventh, Thelen continued his hot hitting with a clutch single to center field to take a 6-5 advantage. One batter later, Zach Nogalski added two insurance runs with a single to right center, scoring Kreiter and Thelen to push the score to 8-5.
 
"Jack (Thelen) was really competitive at the plate today, all weekend really, and came up with another big hit for us in the second game," said Doffek. "He also did a very nice job behind the plate controlling the strike zone and blocking some balls for us today."
 
The Penguins had an opportunity to cut the lead in the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded, but reliever Jake Sommers closed the door getting Web Charles to strikeout swinging with the Panthers hanging onto a three run lead.
 
In the ninth, Sommers sat down the Penguins in order picking up the win, pitching 2.2 innings with one hit, two walks and four strikeouts.
 
Trevor Schwecke went 3-for-3 in game two with two RBI and two walks, while Devin Rybacki chipped in with two hits.
 
Milwaukee will be back in action with a non-conference game Tuesday, April  16 against Edgewood beginning at 4 p.m. from Henry Aaron Field.