MILWAUKEE – Teige Lethert tied the score at nine with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, but it was the Kansas Jayhawks to score one in the bottom of the 10th inning to win Sunday's game by a 10-9 score.
 
With a runner on second in the bottom of the 10th with two outs, Milwaukee appeared to have sent the game to the 11th inning as a throw by Tristan Ellis at shortstop to Justin Hausser at first base was initially ruled to be the final out. However, the call was overturned, and the batter was ruled safe as the baserunner on second was ruled to cross the plate to give Kansas the one-run win.
 
"I don't think I've ever been a part of a game like that with such raw emotion that ultimately ended on a judgment call," said head coach Shaun Wegner after the game. "It's safe to say we are feeling every emotion along the spectrum after that one."
 
The finish soured what had been a torrid start for Milwaukee with a six-run first inning, with Caden Headlee driving in a pair with a double, while Q Phillips capped the inning with a solo home run.
 
"We were able to get six in the first inning and it was really through all facets of our offense," added Wegner. "I felt we did a good job of staying not only in the zone but within ourselves to execute and produce."
 
Milwaukee got RBIs from six batters in the lineup including two by Headlee, while he and Gabe Roessler each had a team-best two hits on the afternoon. Roessler had a double, while Phillips and Lethert had their first round-trippers of the season.
 
"Lethert had a great day in the box, and I look for that to build momentum for him," said Wegner of his senior backstop.
 
Milwaukee sent Mike Sullivan to the hill to open the game with the senior completing the first 3 1/3 innings and had three strikeouts while allowing the first three Jayhawk runs to slice the early Panther lead in half.
 
"It wasn't necessarily clean or perfect, but that start was necessary for Sully [Sullivan] after the way he had been throwing lately," added Wegner. "I'm hoping this will be a great springboard for him moving forward."
 
Tate Schmidt had walked with one down in the fifth and was eventually on third before scoring on a wild pitch. Milwaukee's defense turned a double play in the bottom of the inning to send the game to the sixth, ahead 7-3.

Ten Jayhawks came to the plate in the seventh as Kansas wrestled to take its first lead of the game at 9-7. Brady Ballinger and Jackson Hauge had two RBIs each the inning, with Hauge's pair coming on a two-run home run.
 
Schmidt reached again on a four-pitch walk and later scored to pull Milwaukee within one run in the top of the seventh, before Lethert's solo blast to lead off the eighth evened the score at nine.
 
Aric Ehmke came on in relief of Logan Snow in the eighth and tossed a 1-2-3 inning. He then worked around a pair of two-out baserunners in the ninth as he sent the game to extras. Snow finished the game allowing one run over two innings, while Ehmke was changed with the loss after a solid 2 2/3-inning appearance with two strikeouts.
 
The Panthers got two on in the ninth and a leadoff runner on second in the 10th but were unable to capitalize as it was Kansas to score the replay-assisted run to win the game by one.
 
"I leave here not thinking about what could have been a different result but rather about our team, our fight, and the tenacity we showed," Wegner concluded. "I think our group is starting to turn a corner and we have another big test on Tuesday before we head to Youngstown to begin league play."
 
Milwaukee will play again on Tuesday in Chicago to rekindle its rivalry against its old Horizon League foe UIC at 4:00 p.m. at Curtis Granderson Stadium.