FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Milwaukee baseball fell in the opening game of a three-game series against host Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, as the Mastodons poured on nine runs in the last two innings to come out on top by a 14-4 score.
 
The Panthers held a 3-2 lead after the top of the fifth, following a two-run home run off the bat of Justin Hausser. However, Milwaukee starter Luke Hansel was unable to hold the lead in the bottom of the half of the frame as Purdue Fort Wayne scored three to spark a 12-1 rally to finish the game.
 
"It was 5-3 up until the seventh inning, but that's what it started to unravel on us," said Shaun Wegner postgame. "We had some chances to take leads but couldn't back it up with shut down innings … credit to their offense as they were able to find lots of barrels against our staff today."
 
Hansel finished the game allowing five runs over six innings of work as he took the loss, while striking out one Mastodon. Logan Snow struck out a game-high three batters for Milwaukee but was touched for three runs in his lone inning of work.
 
Carson Hansen led the Panthers with two hits on the day, including a run-scoring double to open the scoring for either side in the top of the third inning. The Mastodons scored two right away in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead.
 
In the fifth, Dallan Quigley reached to open the inning on an error, before Hausser's third home run of the season that bounced onto Anthony Boulevard, just beyond the right field fence.
 
Milwaukee was unable to back it up as four-straight hits in the bottom of the fifth gave Purdue Fort Wayne a lead it did not relinquish at 5-3.
 
Grant Thoroman led the Mastodons with a 3-for-5 effort and scored a team-best four runs, as both he and Ben Higgins drove in three runs apiece. The top four batters in the PFW lineup ended the day 10-for-17 with nine runs scored and nine RBIs.
 
After the Mastodons took an 8-3 lead in the seventh, Milwaukee had a chance in the top of the eighth to fight back as Hansen, Zach Lane, and Sean Tillmon all had singles to begin the frame, with Tillmon's knock scoring Hansen. The rally was short-circuited on a fly ball out and a double play.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne finished off the game by scoring six in the bottom of the eighth to pull away with the 10-run win.
 
"We gave some opportunities to guys in the eighth with an 8-3 lead, but unfortunately were not able to finish off the inning," Wegner added. "We need to show up with better energy and focus tomorrow."

Mac Ayres got the win for PFW as he tossed 6 2/3 innings, Kevin Fee added his fifth save of the year as he finished off the final 1 1/3 frames.
 
Milwaukee will wrap-up the series with Purdue Fort Wayne as part of a doubleheader on Sunday when the teams will meet at Mastodon Field on the Purdue Fort Wayne campus. Game one will begin at 10:00 a.m. (CT).