FRANKLIN, Wis. – Rallying back to win the final two of the three-game weekend set, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Panthers, 4-3, on Sunday, May 7 at Franklin Field.
Their fifth Horizon League series win in eight tries this season, the Golden Grizzlies improve to 21-27 (13-11), while Milwaukee is now 21-24 (10-13).
Making his fifth start of the year and earning his third win, redshirt senior right-hander
Sean Fekete went a career-high six innings, allowing three unearned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts while not walking a Panther and throwing 61 of his 92 pitches for strikes.
Junior
Ben Paugh recorded the three outs in the seventh and
Bryce Konitzer, a fellow redshirt senior right-hander, handled the final two frames for his second save in his last three appearances.
In total, these three Oakland pitchers did not walk a batter Sunday and struck out seven.
Tallying his third consecutive multiple-hit game, sophomore third baseman
Brandon Nigh started the scoring in the first by singling home graduate student first baseman
Gabe Lux, who led off the contest with a double for the second-straight day.
All three Milwaukee runs came in the home half of the third, but the Golden Grizzlies immediately responded by manufacturing two runs in the fourth, with graduate student second baseman
Jared Miller drawing a bases-loaded walk to force home the first one and Lux grounding out to score junior catcher
Brandon Heidal for the second one.
Becoming the first Oakland player to reach double-digit home runs in 2023, redshirt senior shortstop
Thomas Green went deep for the second day in a row, belting a solo shot over the left field wall in the fifth for what would wind up being the game-winning run.
Handling the second through the fifth and the middle of three Panther pitchers on the day, Bloomington, Illinois junior righty Nick Gilhaus (1-2) took the loss.
GRIZZVISION WITH HEAD COACH JORDON BANFIELD
UP NEXT
Midweek games against Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools have become some of the most popular on the Golden Grizzlies' schedule and that will continue when the Toledo Rockets (23-24, 11-13) visit the Oakland Baseball Field on Tuesday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. in a contest that will air live on ESPN+ (subscription required).
