Reklaitis collects 14 strikeouts as Milwaukee completes sweep of NKU with 4-2 victory on Saturday

NKyTribune staff

Senior pitcher Jared Reklaitis collected 14 strikeouts to lead Milwaukee to a 4-2 victory and series sweep over visiting Northern Kentucky University on Saturday at Henry Aaron Field.

With the win, the Panthers (25-15 overall, 13-7 in the Horizon League) moved into a tie for first place in the Horizon League standings. NKU dropped to 10-32 overall, 8-13 in the Horizon League.

Reklaitis picked up his fifth win of the season by pitching 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, eight hits, one walk, while striking out 14 Norse batters – just a strikeout away from tying his own school record of 15.

Milwaukee did most of the damage in the first inning, scoring three times. Tyler Bordner singled through the left side to drive in both Trevor Schwecke and Mike Ferri to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Colin Kreiter then followed up with an RBI single that plated Joe Vyskocil for a 3-0 advantage.

NKU scored single runs in the third and fourth innings with solo home runs off the bats of Griffin Doersching and Preston Pilat.

In the sixth, Pilat doubled with one out and represented the tying run for NKU, but Reklaitis picked up strikeouts No. 11 and 12 to end the threat.

The Panthers added an insurance run in the eighth inning thanks to two passed balls and a throwing error for a 4-2 cushion headed into the ninth.


Closer Jake Sommers picked up his sixth save of the season, sitting down NKU in order in the ninth.

Doersching’s homer was his 11th of the season and 24th of his career, which puts him at sixth place in the NKU record books. Pilat led NKU on Saturday with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.

NKU will play Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday at the Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

(Information compiled from Milwaukee, NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)