FRANKLIN, Wis. – The Milwaukee baseball team finished off a weekend sweep of the Northern Kentucky Norse on Saturday, concluding Friday's suspended game with a 14-4 win before earning a 15-9 victory in the day's originally scheduled contest.
 
In Friday's game the offensive effort was highlighted by a three-run home run from Grant Ross, while John Hadley VI also drove in three runs and went 3-for-3. Aric Ehmke started the game and allowed three runs over the first five innings before Aiden Fishnick was effective over 2 2/3 prior to the game being suspended with two outs in the top of the eighth.
 
Once play resumed, Camden Kuhnke needed just two pitches to escape a bases-loaded jam, and Milwaukee's offense added four runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by a Charlie Marion RBI single to push the lead to 10 and end the game.
 
After finishing Friday's contest scoring eight runs over the final two innings, the Panthers' offense carried that momentum into game two, plating 12 runs over the first two innings. Christian Holmes hit a three-run home run and Joey Spence added a three-run double to highlight the early surge.
 
Those runs supported Riley Peterson, who struck out eight Norse over 4 2/3 innings but did not record the final out in the fifth to qualify for the win. Sotaro Ishida followed with three innings of relief, striking out four to earn his fourth victory of the season.
 
In addition to Holmes' three-run home run in the first inning, Dylan O'Connell went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season.
 
"We're trying to find as much length in our lineup as possible", said head coach Shaun Wegner. "The top five has been consistent throughout the year, but we've been challenging guys to step up. If you can have nine guys give you quality at-bats throughout a whole series, you're going to put up some pretty good numbers." 
 
The pair of wins give Milwaukee its first sweep of Northern Kentucky since March 2019 and moves the Panthers into second place in the Horizon League standings.
 
"That's a baseball team and a staff that I respect quite a bit," said Wegner. "It's a great job of finishing off the weekend and winning the overall season series against a program like that."
 
Game One
After a scoreless first, Northern Kentucky struck first with an RBI double by Landon Springmeyer in the second.
 
The Panters responded immediately with a four spot in the bottom half, drawing four consecutive walks, with Hadley VI forcing in the tying run. After Spence was retired at the plate, Ross delivered a three-run home run down the left field line to make it 4-1.
 
Ehmke worked into the fifth before NKU added two runs on an RBI single by Josh Williams and a wild pitch.
 
Hadley VI led off the fifth with a solo home run, and Milwaukee added another in the sixth when he singled home Marion.
 
Fishnick tossed a scoreless sixth but allowed a run in the seventh after hitting the leadoff batter. Milwaukee answered with three runs in the bottom half, including RBIs from Dominic Kibler and Marion, to extend the lead to 10-4.
 
Northern Kentucky loaded the bases with two down in the eighth before lightning suspended play until Saturday.
 
When the game resumed, Kuhnke entered and needed just two pitches to escape the jam.
 
"Ehmke did a phenomenal job giving us a chance," said Wegner. "Fishnick was doing well until the end, but the delay wallowed us to bring in Kuhnke, and he really solidified that game."
 
Milwaukee sent seven batters to the plate in the eighth, all of whom reached. Max Glusick delivered a two-run single, and Marion capped the scoring with an RBI single as Milwaukee secured the 14-4 win.

Game Two
Milwaukee's offense stayed hot in Saturday's second game.
 
After Peterson worked around a two-out double in the first, the Panthers jumped on the scoreboard. Ross walked, O'Connell singled, and Kibler was hit by a pitch. A groundout by Bradyn Horn brought in the first run, and Marion added a two-run single. Holmes followed with a three-run home run to make it 6-0.
 
Peterson retired the side in order in the top of the second before Milwaukee added six more runs. O'Connell doubled, Kibler was hit again and Horn walked to fill the bases. Marion walked to force in a run, and Spence cleared the bases to extend the lead to 10. Holmes later reached on an error, and Hadley VI added an RBI single to make it 12-0.
 
"Ultimately, we came out hot with the bats," said Wegner. "Finishing the first game gave us momentum, and we did a good job carrying that into the next one."
 
Peterson cruised early but ran into trouble in the fourth as six straight batters reached, cutting the lead to 12-4. KNU added two more in the fifth before Ishida stranded the bases loaded.
 
"I thought the difference for Riley in the early versus late innings was his command on the inside fastball," added Wegner. "He kept them off balance with his change-up and his cutter and executed a couple of inside fastballs strikeouts but lost a little bit he started hitting a couple of guys and then it spiraled on him."
 
Northern Kentucky closed within 12-9 in the eighth, taking advantage of walks and wild pitches.
 
"We got comfortable, and that's when you can get in trouble," Wegner added. "We made it tighter than it needed to be."
 
Milwaukee answered in the bottom half, with O'Connell launching an opposite-field home run. Later, Spence delivered his third double of the game to push the lead back to six.
 
Lucas Watson worked around two baserunners in the ninth, inducing a double play and a flyout to seal the 15-9 victory.
 
Up Next
Milwaukee hosts St. Thomas on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. at Franklin Field before welcoming Wright state for a weekend series.