HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Milwaukee baseball team fell in the series finale to the Northern Kentucky Norse by the score of 9-1 on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Norse outhit the Panthers by a 12-7 margin, while MKE committed a trio of errors aiding to the offensive effort by Northern Kentucky. The Panthers drew a pair of walks and stranded seven runners on base.
 
"We were able to create traffic on the basepaths, but we couldn't push runs across home plate," said head coach Shaun Wegner. "We have to do a better job when we have those opportunities and at least put pressure on the defense."
 
Tyler Bickers led Milwaukee with two hits and drove in the lone Milwaukee run in the top of the sixth. Carson Hansen also had a multi-hit day and scored the Panther run.
 
The Norse opened the scoring with two runs in the third and took a 3-0 lead with a run in the fourth inning. After Milwaukee scored on Bickers' single to plate Hansen in the top of the sixth, Northern Kentucky responded with six runs on four walks, two hits, and a pair of errors in the bottom half of the frame.
 
"We had a chance to get out of the sixth inning as we induced a double play ball that we couldn't secure, costing us multiple runs," Wegner added. "We just can't let it spiral, and we need to find a way to stop the bleeding."
 
It took three pitchers to get through the bottom of the sixth inning for Milwaukee, as the Norse extended its lead to eight.
 
"On the mound it got a bit dysfunctional which gave away too many freebies and that escalated on the scoreboard for them," said Wegner. "Overall, this was a very disappointing weekend against the Horizon League leaders."
 
James Severson retired the final out of the sixth and finished the game by pitching 2 1/3 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out one Norse batter. Owen Rice got his first start of the season and allowed the first two NKU runs.
 
Cleary Simpson and Mitch Wood both had two-hit games and drove in two runs apiece. Starting pitcher Ben Gerl struck out eight Panthers and went seven innings to improve to 3-0 on the season.
 
Milwaukee heads to Chicago on Tuesday for a non-conference tilt against the UIC Flames for a 4:00 p.m. start at Curtis Granderson Stadium.