NILES, Ohio – The Milwaukee baseball team scored seven runs in the final four innings in a furious late rally in attempts to erase an early deficit, but the Panthers were unable to overcome and fell by the final score of 12-11 at Eastwood Field to the Youngstown State Penguins.
 
The loss dropped the Panthers to 9-11 in conference play, as MKE fell in all three to YSU this weekend.
 
"It's awfully hard to win a game when you give up 12 runs in the first four innings," said Panther head coach Scott Doffek. "I'm extremely proud of the fight we showed, but we came up one big hit short in the end."
 
"We are headed into May, and this is when it matters most," Doffek added. "We have to come out this week and play the way we are capable of, and I believe we will."
 
The Panthers fell behind 6-0 in the opening two innings, but a four-run rally in the fourth pulled Milwaukee back within two. The Penguins responded in the bottom of the inning with six runs to open an eight-run lead at 12-4.
 
Milwaukee began to mount its comeback in the sixth with two runs in the inning, before adding one more in the seventh and two more in the eighth to pull back within three runs at 12-9. In the top of the ninth in the team's last chance at bat, the Panthers plated two more runs and left the tying and go-ahead run on base but were unable to complete the comeback.
 
The Panthers outhit the Penguins by a 15-12 margin, led by three hits apiece off the bats of Aaron Chapman and Luke Seidel. Tommy Benson led Milwaukee with three RBIs on the day, as he went 2-for-4 with a walk. Marcus Cline and Jack Thelen each walked twice apiece, as Cline led the team with three runs scored and stole two bases. Ty Olejnik ended the day 2-for-5 at the plate with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.
 
Andy Neu got the start and allowed the first six Penguin runs as he was only able to retire four batters as he took his fourth loss of the season. Nick Gilhaus allowed six runs over 2 2/3 innings and struck out three batters.

The remainder of the Panther bullpen succeeded in holding the Youngstown State offense off the board as Adrian Montilva tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings as he struck out four batters. Mike Sullivan retired the only batter he faced, while Johnny Kelliher set down the Penguins in order in the bottom of the eighth.
 
After Milwaukee went down in order in the top of the first, the Penguins came up to bat and had one runner reach through the first three batters on a wild pitch on a strikeout. Two hits and an error later, Youngstown State had a 2-0 lead after the opening frame.
 
The offense for the Panthers began to get going in the second as Chapman singled and then stole second with two down. Benson followed with walk, but the pair were stranded on base. Youngstown State scored four runs in the bottom of the inning on four hits and two walks to chase Neu in the process.
 
In the top of the fourth the Panthers fought to get back within two runs with a four-run inning as Chapman led off the frame with a single followed by a single off the bat of Thelen. Justin Hausser singled in the first run of the inning for Milwaukee, before Benson drove in a pair with a two-run double. Carson Hansen capped off the frame with an RBI base hit to make the score 6-4 in favor of Youngstown State.
 
The Penguins put up another crooked number in the bottom of the inning, with six runs including a grand slam to take a 12-4 lead.
 
Milwaukee continued to begin to chip away in the top of the sixth as Cline walked with two down and then stole second base. Seidel followed with a run-scoring double before Olejnik plated Seidel with a single through the right side to cut the deficit back down to six.
 
In the seventh, Milwaukee plated another run as Chapman and Thelen walked to put the first two runners on base. Hausser grounded out to move the pair into scoring position before Benson added another run for the Panthers with an RBI groundout.
 
The eighth inning saw Cline walk on six pitches before stealing second ahead of a Seidel walk. Olejnik reached at a fielder's choice as Seidel was erased on the play. Connelly connected on an infield single to plate Cline before Chapman followed with another base knock to score Olejnik and get Milwaukee within three at 12-9.
 
Benson hit the first pitch in the top of the ninth for an infield single and two batters later scored on a double off the bat of Cline. Seidel singled home Cline to get the Panthers back within a run at 12-11. Olejnik walked carrying the potential go-ahead run, but the next two batters were retired to end the game and thwart the Milwaukee rally.
 
Milwaukee will return home on Wednesday, when the Panthers welcome in the Northern Illinois Huskies for a 6:00 p.m. start at Franklin Field. Wednesday night will be Residence Life Night as well as International Students Day.