FRANKLIN, Wisc. - Michael Stygles had a stellar day at the plate hitting 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored while
Lorenzo Elion went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI as Oakland rallied with a five-run seventh inning for an 8-6 come-from-behind win at Milwaukee to claim the team's first Horizon League series of the season. The Panthers had been 11-0 on the season when leading through six innings of play.
The bullpen came up big in relief of
Brandon Deans as
Hayden Nierman tossed four shutout innings without allowing a hit, with no walks and five strikeouts followed by
Travis Densmore tossing one shutout inning, giving up two hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Seth Tucker came in from the field to pitch the sixth inning and picked up his first career win in relief allowing only one run off a home run. Tucker also went 1-for-4 with a double at the plate. Friday's winning starting pitcher and Wisconsin native
Bryce Konitzer recorded his first career save in relief going 3.0 innings allowing only one hit and one run off a sacrifice fly.
Offensively, Oakland (12-23, 6-18 HL) racked up 14 total hits with
Brandon Heidal going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI,
Brenton Phillips hitting 2-for-3 and
Josh Dudden going 1-for-3 with an RBI and run.
Jared Miller also added a hit.
Trailing 4-0, the Golden Grizzlies got on the board in the second inning off an RBI single from Stygles scoring Elion from second base.
Oakland then plated two runs off of Milwaukee (16-23, 13-15 HL) pitching in the sixth inning punctuated by an RBI double from Stygles followed by an RBI single from Dudden to score Stygles which tightened the Panthers' lead to 4-3. The Panthers got a run back in the bottom half off a home run to move ahead 5-3.
The Golden Grizzlies took full advantage of Milwaukee miscues in the seventh inning batting around to post five unearned runs on three hits. Tucker got things started by reaching first base after striking out on a wild pitch, then moved over to third off a single from Miller and later scored off an error on a
Drew Collins sacrifice bunt. Elion reached on a fielder's choice to score Collins, moved to third off a ground-rule double by Stygles, and then scored off a passed ball. Heidal then delivered a ground-rule double to score Dudden and Stygles giving Oakland an 8-5 lead.
Konitzer then entered the game and retired the Panthers in order in the bottom half of the seventh. After a lead-off triple in the eighth, Milwaukee got a run off a sacrifice fly but that would be it as Konitzer closed the door in the ninth to secure the 8-6 win.
Game Notes:
» Stygles racked up four hits on the day for Oakland.
» Nierman struck out five Panthers hitters.
» The Golden Grizzlies power output was led by Stygles, who had two extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» Oakland's highest-scoring inning was the seventh when it pushed five runs across.
» Four Golden Grizzlies had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Golden Grizzlies out-hit the Panthers at a 14-7 clip.
» Oakland pitchers limited Milwaukee to just 1-for-7 (.143) with runners in scoring position.
» Oakland pitchers faced 36 Milwaukee hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and five fly balls while striking out nine.
» Stygles led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
» Milwaukee was led offensively by junior Jack Cavanaugh, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
» Freshman AJ Blubaugh led the Panthers pitching staff, throwing three innings of two-run ball.
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