MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Panthers were unable to bounce back on Sunday afternoon, falling in the rubber match of a three-game Horizon League series against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies by a 4-3 score at Franklin Field.
 
"We were not able to get the offense going at the right times, and what we didn't get wasn't any free bases at all," said head coach Scott Doffek. "We couldn't get any pressure on them and that turned out to be the difference. Oakland pitched better and executed better when it mattered."
 
The Panthers (21-24, 10-13 Horizon) were able to outhit the Golden Grizzlies by an 8-7 margin, as Milwaukee was led on offense by Carson Hansen and Nate DeYoung with two hits apiece, while Aaron Chapman had the team's only RBI.
 
Curtis Sheahan got the start and tossed the first inning of the game, giving up one run. Nick Gilhaus pitched the next four innings and yielded three runs while striking out two. Eliot Turnquist returned for the Panthers and pitched four scoreless innings while striking out four batters for Oakland.
 
"Our goals are completely ahead of us, but we have to learn from some of those things and improve," added Doffek. "You can't throw the ball better than Eliot did, he looked fresh and fundamental and pitched with passion, and we're going to need that going forward."
 
Oakland crossed the opening run of the game in the first inning on a leadoff double and a one-out RBI single off Sheahan.
 
Gilhaus came on in the second and stranded one runner on base after a two-out hit by pitch.
 
As the game progressed to the third, Hansen singled up the middle and two batters later Marcus Cline singled on the first pitch to put two on with one down. Justin Hausser singled to load the bases. Up next was Chapman, who hit a ground ball to third base who initially reacted to touch third but then threw across the diamond and threw awry as three runs scored on the play.
 
Spotted a 3-1 lead, Gilhaus was unable to keep the Golden Grizzlies off the board in the top of the fourth as three walks and a hit batter around an RBI groundout allowed Oakland to tie the game, while stranding a pair in scoring position.
 
Oakland regained a one-run lead at 4-3 with a one-out home run in the fifth in what proved to be the deciding run.
 
Milwaukee got two runners on in the bottom of the fifth on an error and a single but were unable to score as the Panther bats were held in check.
 
Turnquist came on to start the sixth inning and retired the side in order, while the Panthers got a leadoff single off the bat of DeYoung, who was erased on an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the inning.
 
In the seventh, Thelen reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning and was sacrificed up to second and moved up to third on a ground ball. However, the Panthers were not able to score in the inning.
 
After a pair of singles to start the eighth, Turnquist retired the next three batters to turn away the Golden Grizzlies.
 
Milwaukee was unable to muster any offense in the final two innings as it was Oakland to take the rubber game of the three-game set against the Panthers.
 
Milwaukee will close out its homestand on Tuesday evening, when the Panthers host the Northwestern Wildcats for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Franklin Field.