MILKMEN GIVE UP RUNS LATE, STILL WIN SERIES.

By Chife Jaeger

Franklin, WI - The Milwaukee Milkmen had an early lead against the Gary SouthShore Railcats, and held it for most of the game.

Leadoff batter Chad Sedio scored first for Milwaukee when Correlle Prime hit a sacrifice-fly in the first inning.

Sedio later added two more runs himself when he hit a two-run home run in the next inning that also scored Logan Trowbridge who had drawn a walk.

The Milkmen scored a pair again in the fourth inning when a double from Christ Conley scored Trowbridge, who had singled in the previous at-bat. Conley then scored himself when yet another hit from Sedio allowed him to make it home. Then in the sixth inning the duo decided to do it again, as Sedio drove Conely home once more.

“I felt really good before the game started,” Sedio said of his four-for-five performance that included four runs batted in. Sedio’s batting average of .417 leads the American Association on the season. “Just seeing the ball well, getting runs in and hitting the ball hard.”

Meanwhile on the defensive end, starting pitcher Jose Espada pitched 3.1 innings after giving up four runs on eight hits, but also added six strikeouts and no walks to go with it. Christian Young then came in and had himself a day, giving up no runs or hits over 3.2 innings and added five strikeouts of his own to the cause.

It appeared as though the Milkmen would complete the series sweep against the Railcats, leading the game 7-4 after seven innings. But in the top of the eighth, the defense began to fade.

Relief pitcher Takoda Metoxen gave up four runs in the eighth and Karch Kowalczyk gave up two more in the ninth. Two pitchers who have usually been very reliable for the Milkmen this season.

The Milkmen began a rally in the bottom of the ninth however. A double from Bryan Torres drove in both Prime and Aaron Hill to cut the lead to one run, but the rally fell short when two straight putouts after the Torres at-bat ended the game by a score of 10-9. Metoxen earned the loss for the Milkmen.

Despite today's loss the Milkmen still won the series two games to one, and bounced back after getting swept by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and look to get onto a winning streak on their upcoming road trip.

“We’re positive” Manager Anthony Barone said. “We’re right there and we’re ready to break through and go on a winning streak. We gotta play clean baseball in the three phases of the game, offense, defense and pitching.”

The Milkmen will now go on the road for a series against the Sioux City Explorers that will start on Tuesday, and the team will then return home for a rematch series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks starting on Friday at 6:35 p.m.

Tickets are available at MilwaukeeMilkmen.comor at the Box Office prior to the game.