DAYTON, Ohio – On Saturday, the Milwaukee baseball team came close in a furious comeback attempt against the Wright State Raiders at Nischwitz Stadium but fell two runs shy in an 8-6 loss to the Raiders.
 
Milwaukee trailed by a 7-0 margin after three innings before scoring six unanswered runs over the next three frames to pull back within a run. The Raiders added a late insurance run in the eighth to escape with the two-run victory.
 
"I'm extremely proud of the way we competed today," said head coach Scott Doffek. "We had a few chances to tie it late, but tomorrow we'll have a chance to win the season series against Wright State, and we are looking forward to the challenge."
 
The Panthers were once again tied with their hosts in hits as both sides ended the game with 11 hits apiece. The two through five hitters in the Milwaukee lineup had two hits apiece as Mark Connelly, Nate DeYoung, Aaron Chapman, and Marcus Cline all upped their season batting averages. Cline and Jake Novak each had solo home runs to bookend the scoring for the black and gold.
 
Milwaukee got two runners on in the top of the first inning with two down as DeYoung doubled followed by an infield single by Chapman but were unable to capitalize early in the game.
 
Luke Hansel got the start for the Panthers and two of the first three Raider batters reached before Cline, Connelly and Tommy Benson turned a double play to end the rally. Hansel got through the second but was unable to record an out in the third as he was touched up for six runs in the inning.
 
Nick Gilhaus came on for Milwaukee and yielded one more run in the third inning as 11 batters came to the plate for Wright State to take a seven-run lead.
 
Milwaukee got a run back in the fourth on a solo home run off the bat of Cline, for his second home run of the season. Gilhaus then faced the minimum in the fourth, aided by a caught stealing by Jack Thelen, to bring the Panther offense back up in the fifth.
 
Thelen then led off the inning with a single through the infield and two batters later Luke Seidel reached on an error before Connelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
 
DeYoung singled through the infield to plate a pair or runners before Chapman reached on a fielder's choice to score the fourth Milwaukee run of the game. Cline added another RBI on a double to bring Chapman around to pull the visitors back within a pair.
 
Gilhaus again faced the minimum in the fifth as Thelen helped in the effort with his second caught stealing in as many innings.
 
Novak got in on the offensive action with a solo home run to lead off the sixth for his second round-tripper of the year to get Milwaukee within one at 7-6.
 
Gilhaus loaded the bases with two down in the bottom of the inning but was able to get a fly ball to end the threat as Milwaukee trailed by one heading into the final three innings.
 
Chapman was first pitch swinging with one down in the top of the seventh and moved up to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch. However, the Panthers were unable to even the game with the tying run 90 feet away.
 
Johnny Kelliher came on in the bottom of the inning and allowed a one-out single before getting the next batter on a pop-up before winning a five-pitch battle to strike out the final batter of the inning.
 
Milwaukee's offense was unable to get going in the eighth, while the Raiders added a late insurance run off Sam Mathews in the bottom of the inning to take a two-run advantage.
 
In the ninth, Connelly reached on an infield single to lead off the frame but was unable to advance as the next three batters went down as the Raiders picked up their second win in as many days.
 
Milwaukee will look to win the season series from the Raiders on Sunday when the team's meet for the sixth and final time during the regular season. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m. at Nischwitz Stadium.