FORT WAYNE, Ind. – After falling behind by three in the first inning, the Milwaukee baseball team came back in the top of the fifth to tie the game at four. However, Purdue Fort Wayne scored the final three runs of the game to take game one of the three-game series at Mastodon Field by the score of 7-4.
 
"It can be a game of two-out hits and that was the story today," said head coach Scott Doffek. "They came up with a few really clutch two-out hits with runners on base and that was the difference."
 
Mark Connelly led Milwaukee with a two-run double on the day, while both Aaron Chapman and Jack Thelen each drove in a run on the afternoon. In addition to Connelly's double, both Jake Novak and Ty Olejnik each had doubles offensively.
 
On the hill, Riley Frey started and went six innings and struck out five Mastodons as he suffered the loss while allowing all seven of Purdue Fort Wayne's runs on a dozen hits.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne struck first with three runs in the first inning after Frey retired the first two batters on a ground ball and lineout to Connelly.
 
Milwaukee responded with a run of their own with two outs in the top of the second as Novak doubled ahead of a Thelen RBI single to plate the first run of the afternoon the Panthers.
 
The Panthers continued to threaten offensively with a Luke Seidel single and Marcus Cline walk with one down in the third, but Milwaukee was unable to break through.
 
Frey got the side in order in the bottom of the third, but the Mastodons were able to scratch across one more run to regain a three-run lead at 4-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Olejnik doubled on a ball into centerfield before Seidel was plunked by a pitch to put two runners on with one down. Connelly was up next and doubled to drive in a pair before Chapman plated Connelly with the game-tying run on a base hit through the infield.
 
The first two batters reached in the bottom of the fifth against Frey, but the left-hander struck out the next three batters to strand a pair of Mastodons in scoring position.
 
Frey was not as fortunate in the sixth inning after walking the leadoff batter on four pitches before allowing a bunt single. The next play saw the ball fielded by Frey, who turned the double play to leave one runner on first with two down. The next three batters all reached on hits as Purdue Fort Wayne jumped back ahead by a 7-4 score.
 
Sam Mathews came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh inning and retired the side around a one-out walk to send the game to the eighth.
 
Ryan Hoerter was next out of the bullpen and struck out the first batter he faced before walking the next batter. Thelen threw out the would-be base stealer at second for the second out before a groundout ended the inning. For Thelen, it was his 14th base runner caught on the season.
 
Milwaukee was only able to get one runner on base in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Mastodons came away with the win.

The schedule has changed for the remainder of the series as the Panthers and Mastodons will now play a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, April 15 on Mastodon Field.