MILWAUKEE – Teige Lethert delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Milwaukee baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Northern Kentucky on Friday evening.
 
Lethert's RBI drove in Charlie Marion and capped off a comeback as Milwaukee erased a 4-1 deficit. Marion, Gabe Roessler, and Thomas Otto each recorded RBIs, while Q Phillips added a solo home run.
 
"Teige got a huge hit in the 11th after coming in as a pinch hitter late in the game … he was unable to get it done in the ninth, but you never know when the next one's going to come," said Milwaukee head coach Shaun Wegner. "I was proud to see him execute there."
 
Marion's sacrifice fly gave the Panthers led 1-0 early, but the Norse answered back with four runs off Milwaukee starter Gavin Theis in the top of the third.
 
Theis got some help from his defense in each of the next two innings with a pair of double plays and a caught stealing. His efforts allowed Roessler to trim the lead to 4-2 with a single in the fifth.
 
In the sixth, Theis recorded first two outs before turning things over to the bullpen. Mason Weckler was next on the hill for the Panthers.
 
"Gavin competed all day long, he held us in the game as long as he could" added Wegner. "The bullpen took over … if you can keep putting up zeroes in this game you always got a chance and that's what they did."
 
After getting his second outfield assist of the game at home plate, Phillips led off the bottom of the sixth and brought Milwaukee within a run with a home run to left field.
 
Weckler got a double play of his own in the top of the seventh to help keep the Norse in check, setting the stage for the offense in the bottom half. Roessler, Marion, and Caden Headlee all reached with two down before Otto drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at four.
 
"We were able to get a few double plays in some key situations and keep them off the board," Wegner noted.
 
In the eighth, Weckler got the first batter on a fly ball before Logan Snow took over and hung up another zero. Snow allowed a baserunner in the ninth but left him stranded at second.
 
Milwaukee had a chance in the bottom of the ninth with two on with two down but couldn't convert.

Riley Peterson was next up for the Panthers and allowed a leadoff single, but the baserunner was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Peterson allowed the go-ahead run to get to third but retired the next two batters to escape the jam.
 
The Panthers had another chance in the 10th with two runners in scoring position and two outs but again came up empty.
 
After Peterson and the defense stranded two more runners in the top of the 11th, the offense broke through. Marion was hit by a pitch then stole second on a delayed steal. Phillips walked ahead of Lethert, who slashed the game winner to right centerfield allowing Marion to score.
 
"We know this is a good baseball team that we're playing, and we know that we have to get some wins against them … that's a good way to start the weekend," said Wegner.
 
Roessler and Justin Hausser each had three hits in the win. Theis struck out two over 5 2/3 innings, while Weckler and Snow each pitched 1 2/3 innings pitched. Snow fanned three and Peterson struck out two over two scoreless innings of work to earn his first win of the season.
 
Jake Paulick and Marcus Harrison each had two-run singles in the third for NKU. Conner Linn struck out six over 5 2/3 innings. Shawn Parnell struck out six more over 3 1/3 and Evan Fry took the loss after allowing the decisive run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
 
Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky will play game two of the series on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Franklin Field.