PHOENIX, AZ.- The UWM baseball team headed out west this week to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in an exhibition matchup. Although the Panthers started out with an early lead, the Brewers eventually took the exhibition with an 11-2 score.
The Panthers started out hot getting ahead 2-1 on an Eric Solberg single out to center that sent Nick Unes and Mike Jordahl around the bases and to the scoreboard in the top of the second.
The Brewers regained the lead in the bottom of the third with two two-run home runs thanks to Orlando Arcia and Will Middlebrooks. The NL Central team would not give the lead back up.
“I thought we came out of the gates swinging the bat pretty well,” Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. “…To have a lead early was good, we just didn’t pitch well enough.”
The pitching for UWM may not have been as effective as initially hoped, but the defensive fielding was present and aggressive. The Panthers turned three double plays. One of which was on a soft liner snagged by Quirke who quickly picked the runner off at second.
Solberg lead the Panthers offense with a 2-for-3 day consisting of two RBI’s. UWM finished with eight hits from Luke Meeter, Billy Quirke, Ian Ross, Unes, Dan Barwick and Jordahl.
“I know for our guys it (the exhibition opportunity) is something that we will never forget,” Coach Doffek said at the end of the day.
The Panthers (2-6) will head to Jonesboro, Arkansas on Friday to take on Arkansas State in a three game series for their next contest.
UWM will start Horizon League play on March 24th when they take on Youngstown State down in Ohio in a three game series spanning from Thursday-Saturday.