FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie late in the game to take the season opener from the Milwaukee Panthers by a 7-3 score on Friday evening.
 
Milwaukee (0-1) scored in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead on a two-run Tyler Bickers triple, and Luke Hansel threw five innings of one-run ball, but the Bulldogs were able to come back to erase the deficit and win the opening game of the three-game set.
 
At the plate, the Panthers had nine hits with Bickers, Zach Lane, and Sean Tillmon each getting two hits apiece in their Milwaukee debuts. Bickers added his third RBI late in the game on a sacrifice fly.
 
"There were a lot of encouraging things we got to see out of our roster tonight," commented Shaun Wegner following his head coaching debut. "I thought our hitters showed a mature presence in the box, but we just couldn't scratch those runs across when the opportunities came knocking."
 
Hansel did not factor into the decision as he allowed an early run in the first before settling in and did not allow a hit after the first inning, ending the game with six strikeouts. The Panther pitchers held Fresno State to just four hits as a team on the night.
 
"Luke was outstanding tonight after the first inning," Wegner said of his starter. "He settled in and pitched with high intent … I think he showed he can be a leader of this staff."
 
Fresno State broke through in the first inning on a single and a pair of wild pitches before a sacrifice fly gave the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead. The Panthers stranded four runners on base over the next three innings while Hansel settled in and sent the game to the fifth.
 
Q Phillips led off the top of the fifth with a single before Dallan Quigley bunted and reached on an error to put two on with no outs. Two batters later, Bickers took a pitch to the opposite field and sent the ball just inside the first base bag to chase home the pair and give MKE its first lead of the night.
 
James Severson made his season debut and put two runners on with two down in the sixth and after a mound visit, stranded a pair of bulldogs in scoring position on the very next pitch to retire the side and end the threat.
 
A walk and a triple by Fresno State tied the game in the seventh, before the Bulldogs took advantage three walks, three hit batters and an error all around a two-run double by Ben Newton to put the home team up by a 7-2 margin.
 
Milwaukee got a run back in the top of the ninth on a walk by Quigley, single by Tillmon and sacrifice fly by Bickers but the Panther offense was unable to come back in the four-run loss.
 
Starter Jake Dixon did not factor into the decision for the Bulldogs after giving up two runs over five innings. Victor Arreola picked up the win for Fresno State with three effective innings of relief without allowing a run and striking out five Panther batters.
 
Johnny Kelliher took the loss for Milwaukee as he was charged with two runs allowed over his 2/3 innings of work.
 
Riley Peterson made his collegiate debut and retired two batters after entering with one down and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. "I was encouraged with Riley's presence in that high leverage situation," added Wegner. "He could prove to be a valuable asset for our pitching staff this season."
 
Milwaukee and Fresno State will lock up again on Saturday afternoon for game two of the series. The game time of Saturday's contest was moved up to a 2:30 p.m. (CT) start due to forecasted weather later in the day in Northern California.