As usual the Panthers and Brewers hooked up in a close game that went right down to the end. The Panthers jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning by loading the bases with nobody out to start the game off of Brewers starter Mark Keenan. After RBI hits by Steve "meat" Tsonos, Nathan Thompson, and a sac fly by Steve Smith, the Panthers led 3-0. The Brewers struck back quickly though getting one run in the bottom of the inning with Keenan's sac fly off of Panther starter Jeff Dawson.
Dawson cruised through the second and third just scattering a few walks, after giving up a 2 run single in the 4th by Frank Macera, Smith relieved with one out and got out of the jam. Dawson finished after only giving up 3 hits and 2 earned runs.
Meanwhile, Keenan got in trouble again in the third giving up 3 consecutive hits, a double by Altherre, a single by Tsonos, and an RBI single by Thompson. Keenan's night was finished on the mound in the 4th after putting runners on first and second with one out, but Matt Beelen came in and induced a 1-4-3 double play to get out of it. The score stood at 4-3 for the Panthers after 4 complete innings.
The Panthers then looked to get some much needed insurance runs in the 5th after getting runners on second and third with nobody out thanks to singles by Altherre and Tsonos and a surprise stolen base by "meat". Matt Beelen bared down though and struck out the next 3 hitters to get out of it and give the Brewers some momentum, but the Brewers stranded a man on second in the 5th, against some good pitching by Steve Smith.
The Panthers again threatened to score some insurance runs in the 6th, but stranded 2 runners on base. In the bottom of the 6th, it looked like the Panthers would go to the seventh with the lead after Smith got the first 2 Brewers to fly out. But, Macera got a bloop single, and then Jon Zywicki hit a double to the center field wall that scored Macera and tied the game. Then Matt Beelen lined a single to right center to score Zywicki and take an improbable 5-4 lead.
In the seventh, Matt Beelen luckily got "meat" to line out to lead off the inning, then got the next 2 for a 1-2-3 inning and a comeback win for the Brewers.
Player of the Game : Matt Beelen...pitching : 3.66 IP, 2 H, 1
BB, 3 K, winning pitcher....batting: 1/3, game winning RBI.
(no bias)
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