MILWAUKEE – Behind a 10-strikeout performance from senior Adrian Montilva, the Milwaukee Panthers topped Purdue Fort Wayne by a 3-1 score on Friday afternoon.
 
The 10 strikeouts were a career high for Montilva, who joined elite company with the 42nd double-digit strikeout performance in program history. His outing also included four strikeouts in the first inning. Montilva needed 34 pitches to get through the first but ended the game giving up just four hits and one run, without allowing a walk over six frames.
 
"We have seen Montilva get into some high pitch counts early … the first inning was no different today, but he locked in and was working more around the zone than wasting pitches," commented Shaun Wegner on his starter. "An outstanding job by him getting through six innings, and then turning the ball over to Logan Snow, who's been really good for us this year."
 
While pitching was strong for the Panthers on the day so too was timely hitting as Tyler Bickers, Q Phillips and Carson Hansen picked up RBIs to lead the effort by Milwaukee's offense. The Panthers outhit Purdue Fort Wayne by a 9-6 difference.
 
"The middle of the lineup has been carrying us of late," added Wegner. "Hansen had the big hit with two outs, and Phillips smoked the ball through the left side for an RBI. Hats off to those guys, and hopefully they're ready to show up again tomorrow."
 
After the Panthers trailed in the first inning, they responded in the bottom half as Justin Hausser doubled and was brought home on a double by Bickers to tie the score at one.
 
The Mastodons got two runners on in the second, but Montilva got the third out on a ground ball for the first of 13 in a row set down by the Panther starter.
 
Milwaukee took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Hansen led off the inning with a single and went first to third on a Zach Lane base knock. Phillips gave Milwaukee the 2-1 lead with a ground ball scorched through the left side of the infield.
 
The Panthers added an insurance run in the fifth as Quigley was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Quigley advanced to third on a ground ball before Hansen singled up the middle with two down to put the Black and Gold ahead by two.
 
Snow took over in the seventh inning and allowed a one-out single before setting PFW down in order in the eighth. He allowed a two-out double in the ninth before closing out the game for his first save as a Panther.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne got two hits from leadoff man Jacob Walker, while Grant Thoroman drove in Walker in the first. Mac Ayres allowed all three Panther runs over six innings of work as he suffered his fourth loss of the season.
 
"When you're on your home turf, you have to protect your house … I challenged our guys to do that, and we had good energy both on the field and in the dugout," Wegner added. "Having secured a series, we now have a chance to get all three and I hope we come back hungry and focused for tomorrow."
 
Milwaukee goes for the series sweep on Saturday afternoon as they welcome in the Mastodons for a 1 p.m. start at Franklin Field.