WICHITA, Kan. – Tate Schmidt and Cade Palkowski hit their first career home runs for Milwaukee, but the Panthers were unable to keep pace with host Kansas in a 9-5 loss on Saturday.
 
The Panthers got on the board first with an RBI groundout from Charlie Marion, before getting leadoff home runs in the third by Schmidt and fourth by Palkowski. Tyler Bickers added the last Milwaukee run on a sacrifice fly to lead the offensive effort.
 
Milwaukee had four hits on the day including a pair by Schmidt, while Kansas finished the game with nine runs on seven hits. KU put up three crooked numbers in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings to create separation on the scoreboard.
 
The Panthers struggled to drive runs in on the day with Milwaukee stranding 11 runners on base. "Timely hitting has been a crutch so far all season," commented head coach Shaun Wegner, "We need to find a way to simply pass the baton and link together more quality at bats."
 
Catcher Ian Francis was the only Jayhawk with a multi-hit day ending the game with three hits and five RBIs out of the nine-hole in the lineup. Brady Ballinger drove in a pair for the home squad.
 
"Conditions were far more neutral today and the ballpark played fairly large with the cold air … when you look at the scoreboard, it was a better brand of baseball than yesterday," Wegner said. "We still have so much to clean up if we expect to win games consistently."
 
Gabe Roessler walked to open the game and eventually stole third before Marion brought him in with a ground ball out. Kansas responded with a run of its own after a one-out walk came around and scored on a balk by Milwaukee started Logan Schulfer to make the score 1-1.
 
Schmidt and Palkowski gave MKE a 3-1 lead, but a pair of walks compounded by two Jayhawk hits gave KU its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth at 4-3.
 
Caden Headlee reached on a one-out knock and then stole second in the fifth, before a ground ball that was thrown away allowed the tying run to score.
 
A sacrifice fly by Sawyer Smith and two-run double by Francis gave Kansas a 7-4 advantage after five.
 
After a scoreless sixth, Kansas scored the next two on another two-run double by Francis to make it five-run Jayhawk lead. Palkowski walked to open the eight and later scored on a Bickers sacrifice fly to close out the scoring.
 
Schulfer took the loss after 4 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Zach Dohrmann was charged with one run over his 1 1/3 innings, while Riley Peterson allowed just an unearned run over his two innings of work.
 
Five pitchers made it through the game for Kansas, led by starter Manning West with a game-high five strikeouts over the first three innings. Connor Maggi got the win, before Alex Breckheimer threw a hitless sixth. Thaniel Trumper allowed the sac fly to Bickers, while Eric Lin faced three Panthers in the ninth.
 
Milwaukee and Kansas will close out the four-game weekend series on Sunday afternoon back at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.