FRANKLIN, Wis. – With seven runs, strong pitching, and a solid defensive effort the Milwaukee baseball team picked up a 7-1 win over the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons to even the weekend series at one game apiece at Franklin Field.
 
The Panthers scored their seven runs on 11 hits including six extra-base hits. Ty Olejnik had three hits on the day and fell a home run short of the cycle. Nate DeYoung did connect on his fourth home run of the season, while Jake Novak also had a multi-hit effort with a pair of doubles.
 
"We didn't do anything special there at the plate," said head coach Scott Doffek. "We just kept on the gas a little bit and we did have some two-out hits early in the game that eased a little tension in the dugout. We had a few two-out hits in a row there to get us the early lead."
 
Luke Hansel got the start and did not allow a run over five innings of work as he improved to 6-4 on the year with one strikeout on 56 pitches. The bullpen combined for the final four innings, surrendering just one run in the sixth inning while the defense assisted with several strong plays to limit the Mastodons to just one run.
 
"There were a handful of plays that we consider 'extra-effort' that we did make," added Doffek. "I thought we were fortunate today with some hard-hit balls that we got some outs on. We had some things going our way, but we played the right way, so we deserved it."
 
Hansel loaded the bases with one down in the top of the first inning, but the Panther defense was able to turn a double play behind him as Mark Connelly snagged a line drive at the apex of his leap and turned two by flipping the ball to second to end the early threat.
 
The Panthers took the lead in the bottom of the inning, as DeYoung launched a high fly ball over the right field fence for his fourth home run of the season to give Milwaukee an early 1-0 lead.
 
Milwaukee added another two runs in the second inning, as Connelly led off the frame with a first pitch single before stealing second base. Two batters later Novak had a hard-hit double off the first baseman's glove to plate Connelly. Olejnik kept the line moving with a base hit into right field to bring Novak around.
 
The Mastodons put two runners in scoring position in the top of the third, but Marcus Cline made a strong throw across the diamond with Benson stretching to record the third out of the inning.
 
Milwaukee got two more runners on in the bottom of the third but were unable to convert.
 
In the fourth the Panthers continued their strong defensive effort as both Luke Seidel and Novak made sliding catches for the first two outs, before a fly ball to Olejnik ended the eight-pitch inning for Hansel.
 
The fifth inning saw the Mastodons collect two singles with one down before Hansel escaped damage with a fly ball and a groundout. Milwaukee also got a one-out baserunner but were unable to convert.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne scored a run on a double, groundout and a balk on the Panthers' first reliever of the game, Gavin Theis.
 
Milwaukee got the offense going again as Tommy Benson connected on a hard line drive down the right field line for a double before Jack Thelen walked and the pair stole second and third. With Olejnik batting a passed ball allowed Benson to score the fourth Milwaukee run.
 
Both teams had a baserunner in the seventh inning, which included a leadoff single by Seidel for the Panthers in the bottom of the seventh. Seidel stole second then took third on an errant throw, before Chapman walked to put runners on the corners. A balk brought Seidel home to give Milwaukee a 5-1 advantage.
 
Johnny Kelliher, who got the final two outs in the top of the seventh inning struck out the first two batters of the eighth inning. Sam Mathews was next for the Panthers and struck out his first opponent via strikeout before a ground ball ended the top of the eighth.
 
Milwaukee's bats continued their attack in the bottom of the eighth as Novak doubled, followed by a triple off the bat of Olejnik to score the sixth Panther run. Cline singled through the drawn in infield to plate Olejnik to increase Milwaukee's to 7-1.
 
Mathews got three ground balls to end the game as the Panthers evened the series at one game apiece.
 
Milwaukee will look to win the three-game set against the Mastodons on Saturday afternoon, when the teams will meet as 12:00 p.m. at Franklin Field.