FRANKLIN, Wis. – Bradyn Horn led Milwaukee with four hits over two games and drove in three runs. However, Youngstown State won both ends of the twinbill, taking the opener 5-3 and game two by a 7-4 score.
 
Horn got the scoring started in both games, but Milwaukee was unable to hold the early lead in each contest.
 
Meanwhile, Nathan Beckley had five RBIs over the two games for Youngstown State, while the Penguins received a combined 5 2/3 scoreless innings from their bullpen.
 
Game One
The highly anticipated pitching matchup of Milwaukee's Gavin Theis and Youngstown State's Braden Gebhardt lived up to the billing through the first three innings, as the duo matched zeroes.
 
Dominic Kibler led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Horn then plated Kibler with a single to left to give Milwaukee the early advantage.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Christian Holmes hit a triple to open the frame before Grant Ross walked and stole second. Tate Schmidt brought home a run with a ground ball to make it 2-0. With runners on the corners, Schmidt got caught in a rundown, allowing Ross to score to put the Panthers up 3-0.
 
After a scoreless sixth, Theis allowed the first two runners on in the seventh and was lifted for Lucas Watson. A pair of errors defensively by Milwaukee allowed four runs to score in the inning, giving the Penguins their first lead of the game.
 
Milwaukee stranded two runners in the seventh and another in the eighth, however, was unable to push across the tying run.
 
YSU added an insurance run with three straight singles in the top of the ninth and secured the 5-3 win.
 
Gebhardt went six innings, striking out five, allowing all three Panther runs. Sumner Estes notched the save, striking out one in the ninth.
 
Theis struck out five over his 6 1/3 innings and did not allow an earned run. Camden Kuhnke pitched the final 2 1/3 for the Panthers and struck out two.
 
Game Two
Similar to the opener, Milwaukee took an early advantage as Ross doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and moved to third on a single by Max Glusick. A few batters later, Horn doubled down the left field line to score two. Charlie Marion followed with a hard-hit single to bring Horn home and give the Panthers a three-run advantage after one inning.
 
With the lead, Milwaukee starter Aric Ehmke was able to limit damage in the top of the second to just a sacrifice fly.
 
The Panthers answered right back with a sacrifice fly of their own, as Glusick brought home Cade Palkowski, who reached on an infield single.
 
Youngstown State continued to score single runs over the next three innings to tie the score at four before scoring two in the sixth on a wild pitch and a groundout against Mason Weckler.
 
Milwaukee had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh, as Ross, Dylan O'Connell, and Kibler loaded the bases with two down, but were unable to deliver the tying hit.
 
The Penguins extended their lead to 7-4 on a squeeze play in the eighth.
 
Cullen Riel pitched a scoreless ninth for the Panthers, but Milwaukee's offense went down in order to end the game.
 
Up Next
Milwaukee and Youngstown State wrap up the weekend series tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. at Franklin Field.