LAWRENCE, Kan. – A trio of ninth inning errors proved costly as the Milwaukee baseball team fell to the host Kansas Jayhawks by a 4-3 score on Thursday afternoon.
 
Milwaukee got strong pitching from a quartet of arms, including two shutout innings from Eamonn Mulhern in relief of Mason Weckler, who opened the game. Matthew Mueller allowed one run followed by a 2 1/3 inning outing from Logan Snow.
 
Kansas got the leadoff runner on via error in the ninth before Snow struck out the next. A fielder's choice turned into another error to put two on, before an intentional walk loaded the bases to set up the force.
 
Two pitches later a sharp liner was snagged by Snow for the second out, but an errant throw attempting for the double play allowed the winning run to score.
 
"Anytime you are in a ballgame in the ninth inning, it's hard to walk away disappointed but that's how we feel getting on the bus tonight," said head coach Shaun Wegner. "It seems to be a similar story as of late and we have repeat occurrences where we can't execute when we have to."
 
Kansas got on the board first with a pair of runs off Weckler in the bottom of the first. Weckler's counterpart Cooper Moore was off to a fast start as he retired the first 10 Milwaukee batters.
 
The Panthers scored a pair in the fourth on a two hard-hit line drives off Moore, as both Caden Headlee and Thomas Otto got infield singles and RBIs to pull Milwaukee within one.
 
Mulhern entered and stranded a pair in the bottom of the fourth. The Panthers got another run as Gabe Roessler doubled with one down and advanced to third on an error. A wild pitch to the backstop allowed the Panther shortstop to cross the plate with the tying mark.
 
A leadoff walk by Mueller in the seventh came back to cost Milwaukee, as the run scored to tie the game. Snow came on in the middle of the inning and stranded the bases loaded to send the contest to the ninth.
 
The Jayhawks scored the winning run in the ninth to take the opening game of the series by a 4-3 score.
 
"Once we stop trying to be extraordinary and instead just handle the ordinary, we will find a better brand of team baseball and be able to deserve the victory," added Wegner. "I really believe in this team."
 
Moore did not factor into the decision as he went the first seven innings for Kansas. Earning the win was Alex Breckheimer with two scoreless frames. Offensively the Jayhawks were led by leadoff man Derek Cerda, who led the game off with a home run, had two hits and scored two runs.
 
Milwaukee and Kansas will meet for game two on Friday at 12:00 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas.