CHICAGO, Ill. – With the season nearing its end, the top of the Horizon League baseball standings tightened up just a little bit more with the Milwaukee baseball team dropping game one of the three-game series against UIC Friday evening, 8-1, from Curtis Granderson Stadium.
 
The Panther (26-16, 13-8) offense struggled to get anything going against one of the top arms in the league, Jacob Key. The Flames (19-19, 12-9) starter surrendered just two hits while striking out seven in eight innings. It wasn't until the ninth inning when the Panthers were able to break the shutout.
 
Milwaukee had an opportunity to score early in the second inning when Colin Kreiter and Mitchell Buban walked, and Oakland Scanlan singled to load the bases with two outs, but the Panthers left all three stranded when Keys got a ground ball in the next at-bat to end the inning.
 
UIC tallied a run in the second inning and then broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning for a seven run advantage.
 
In the top of the ninth, Milwaukee's Trevor Schwecke hit his league-leading 16^th double of the season to lead off the inning. Schwecke crossed the plate after back-to-back singles from Joe Vyskocil and Tyler Bordner. The Panthers loaded the bases when Scanlan singled to right field, but the rally fell short with the Flames getting the next two outs to end the game.
 
MKE will look to bounce back in game two of the series Saturday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. from Curtis Granderson Stadium.