DAYTON, Ohio – Milwaukee scored five runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 lead, but it was Wright State to win the Horizon League opener over the Panthers with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 9-8 win.
 
The first two batters in the bottom of the ninth drew walks for the Raiders before Drew Baker dropped an infield bunt single to third base resulting in an errant throw allowing the runners on base to score the tying and game-winning runs for the home team.
 
"That ballgame was a story of resilience and grit followed up with a lack of execution and ability to slow down the game," commented head coach Shaun Wegner after the game. "When you have a good opponent, you can't give up freebies and that ended up costing us in the end."
 
Milwaukee outhit the Raiders by an 11-9 margin, including two hits apiece by Sean Tillmon, Camden Kuhnke, and Tyler Bickers. Tillmon and Kuhnke each had two RBIs in Milwaukee's five-run ninth, while Bickers and Carson Hansen hit their first home runs of the season, and in Panther uniforms.
 
"Our bats stayed on it and even though we got away from our approach in the seventh and eighth innings, we never gave up through the ninth," Wegner added.
 
The Panthers led early with a run in the top of the first as Bickers singled deep in the hole to the second baseman, before an error allowed Tillmon to score the game's opening run.
 
Wright State answered back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run off Panther starter Luke Hansel, before the Raiders added a three-run home run in the second to take a 5-1 lead.
 
Hansel finished the game by going a season-high seven innings, while allowing six Wright State runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
 
"Despite getting touched early for two big home runs, Luke is such a competitor and was able to give us seven strong," Wegner noted of his starter. "He was able to overcome that start mentally and never let it get to him."
 
Milwaukee chipped away with solo home runs by Bickers in the fourth and Hansen in the sixth to pull the Black and Gold within two.
 
The Raiders got two runs back with solo runs in the seventh and eighth to take a 7-3 advantage into the ninth inning.
 
Milwaukee proved they could hang with the preseason league favorite by scoring five in the ninth. Teige Lethert doubled to open the inning before a fly ball out by Q Phillips advanced pinch runner Evan Baptiste to third. Gabe Roessler walked to put runners on the corners before Tai Walton walked to load the bases.
 
Tillmon was up next and smacked a two-run double into the left field corner to trim the deficit to two. Justin Hausser laced a drive into shallow centerfield to bring home Walton before Kuhnke tripled to deep right-center to bring home Tillmon and Hausser to put the Panthers up by one.
 
Owen Rice was unable to record an out after walking the first two batters in the ninth and was charged with the loss on the pair of unearned runs.
 
Jake Shirk went the first six innings for Wright State and allowed three runs, two earned, against Milwaukee before five Raider relievers recorded the final nine outs of the game. Ben Vore, Baker, and Boston Smith all went deep for the home team, with Vore leading the way with three RBIs and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot for the Raiders.
 
Milwaukee and Wright State will match up for game two of the series on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. (CT) at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.