HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Jake Novak went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and the Milwaukee baseball team put up six runs in the sixth inning to top Alabama A&M 8-7 on Saturday afternoon.
 
"It was good to win that game and I thought we played a really clean game until the last two innings," head coach Scott Doffek said. "I could see we had a hard time controlling our breathing and heart rates down the stretch but that's what these first couple weeks outside are about."
 
Novak got the scoring started for Milwaukee with a solo shot in the fifth inning and added the eventual game-deciding homer in the ninth.
 
"We did a great job of stringing together some hits in the sixth and obviously Novak a huge day with two bombs," Doffek continued.
 
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Mitchell Buban opened the frame with a single and the hits kept coming for the Panthers.
 
Conner Goodman drove in a run before Tommy Benson plated two with a single and Quinton Morris followed a two-run shot to left center.
 
The Panthers got one more on a sacrifice fly as Novak scored Jack Thelen to make it 7-3.
 
Alabama A&M bounced back with one in the bottom half and two more in the eighth, but Novak roped his second homer of the game, a solo shot to right field, and MKE held an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Bulldogs walked in a run in the ninth, but Eliot Turnquist got a lineout to end it as he picked up the six-out save.
 
Novak finished 3-for-3 with the two homers and three RBI.
 
Jack Mahoney worked 4.2 innings and struck out six while walking just one. Ryan Hoerter picked up the win, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing three runs while striking out a pair.
 
Milwaukee will wrap up the series against Alabama A&M tomorrow with first pitch at 11:00 am.
 
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