MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Senior Jared Reklaitis pitched lights out with 14 strikeouts helping the Milwaukee baseball team to a 4-2 victory and series sweep over Northern Kentucky Saturday morning from Henry Aaron Field. With the win, the Panthers (25-15, 13-7) move into a tie for first place in Horizon League standings.
 
Although the temperature was cooler and hovered around 40 degrees, Reklaitis (5-4) was hot from the mound. The Sheboygan native picked up his fifth win pitching 7.2 innings, allowing two runs, eight hits, one walk, while striking out 14 Norse (10-32, 8-13) batters – a strikeout away from tying his own school record of 15.
 
"Jared was outstanding today," said Panther head coach Scott Doffek. "He had a couple stressful situations with runners on, but he executed his secondary pitches extremely well today."
 
The Panthers did most of the damage in the first inning scoring three runs right off the bat.
 
Senior catcher Tyler Bordner continued with the hot bat when he singled through the left side scoring Trevor Schwecke and Mike Ferri who singled earlier to jump out on top of the Norse. Outfielder Colin Kreiter then followed up with an RBI single scoring Joe Vyskocil for the three-run advantage.
 
NKU scored single runs in the third and fourth innings with solo home runs from the bats of Griffin Doersching and Preston Pilat. Pilat led NKU with a 3-for-4 performance.
 
In the sixth, Pilat doubled with one out and represented the tying run for NKU, but Reklaitis picked up strikeouts No. 11 and 12 to end the threat.
 
The Panthers picked up an insurance run in the eighth inning thanks to two passed balls and a throwing error from the catcher for a two-run cushion headed into the ninth.
 
Closer Jake Sommers picked up his sixth save of the season sitting down NKU in order, and hold onto a 4-2 victory.
 
Next up, Milwaukee will take on the Minnesota Gophers Wednesday, May 1 from Siebert Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m..