MILWAUKEE – Matthew Mueller threw four scoreless innings and Justin Hausser drove in three runs to help lead Milwaukee to a non-conference win over UIC by a 7-4 score on Tuesday.
 
The Panthers led 7-1 after five innings and were able to hold off a late surge by the Flames, who scored one in the sixth and two more in the ninth before Eamonn Mulhern was able to close the door with the game-tying runs on base.
 
"We let them back into the game a little bit," said head coach Shaun Wegner post game. "It came down to us giving it to them rather than making them earn it … we need to throw with conviction and thump the strike zone to make the opponent earn it."
 
In addition to Hausser's three RBIs, Gabe Roessler, Tyler Bickers, Charlie Marion, and Thomas Otto all drove in runs for the Panthers. Marion and Tate Schmidt had multi-hit days, while Roessler, Schmidt, and Q Phillips all scored multiple runs.
 
The Panthers got three of the first four runners on to load the bases in the second before Roessler was hit by a pitch to score the first Milwaukee run. Hausser singled to score two more before Bickers singled to plate Roessler and chase the UIC starter David Cox from the game.
 
"It came down to that big inning," added Wegner. "When you get four runs in one inning, that's a good sign for the future when you're able to tack a couple more on."
 
Mueller pitched well through the fourth inning, needing 69 pitches to get the first 12 outs of the game while facing three over the minimum. The left-hander tied his season-best with six strikeouts while tying his season-high for innings pitched.
 
"We tried to change his perspective a little bit and give him a different opportunity and see if that could help it click knowing he had the chance to get some more innings," said Wegner on Mueller's start. "He came out and dominated … he was really confident out there tonight."
 
Milwaukee scored another run on an RBI single by Marion in the fourth, before UIC scratched across its first run in the top of the fifth. Otto had a run-scoring double and Hausser hit a sacrifice fly to extend Milwaukee's lead to 7-1 in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Tristan Arnold came on in relief of Mueller in the fifth and struck out two over 1 2/3 innings while allowing the first two UIC runs. Zach Dohrman finished the sixth and pitched a hitless seventh inning as he was credited with the win. Riley Peterson pitched a hitless eighth inning for the Panthers.
 
It took four pitchers to get through the ninth inning with Mulhern entering the game with two runners on and nobody out. He struck out the first two batters he faced before an error loaded the bases for UIC, ultimately Mulhern got the final out on a ground ball to Tristan Ellis, who fired across the diamond to finish the game.
 
Luke Nowak, Pambos Nicoloudes, and Christan Holmes each had two of UIC's eight hits on the evening. Cox took the loss for the Flames as seven pitchers took the hill for the visitors.
 
Milwaukee resumes Horizon League play on Thursday at 5:00 p.m., when the Panthers welcome the Youngstown State Penguins to Franklin Field to open a three-game conference series.