YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Panthers and Youngstown State Penguins close their three-game Horizon League series Saturday afternoon at Eastwood Field, with both teams seeking momentum after a wild series opener.

Milwaukee (18-30, 6-13 Horizon) faces a must-win after dropping Friday’s contest 13-11, a game that saw the Panthers blow a late lead. The Penguins (11-37, 5-14) snapped a six-game losing streak with the victory and now have a chance to win their first series since April 3-4, when they took two of three from these same Panthers.

Players to watch

Charlie Marion, Milwaukee’s right fielder, has been the Panthers’ most consistent offensive threat. Over his last 10 games, Marion is hitting .370 (10-for-27) with three home runs and 13 RBIs. In Friday’s loss, he went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. His four-hit, two-home run performance at Northwestern on April 28 highlighted his power potential.

Jack Messmore does a bit of everything for Youngstown State. The designated hitter and occasional pitcher went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs in Friday’s win, accounting for more than a third of the Penguins’ offense. On the mound, Messmore has struggled to a 10.38 ERA over 13 innings this season, but his bat provides a spark in the middle of the order.

Series history

The teams split their four meetings earlier this season. Youngstown State won two of three in Milwaukee on April 3-4, while Milwaukee took a 5-1 decision in the series finale. Friday’s contest marked the highest-scoring game between the clubs this year.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator forecasts a 5-3 Milwaukee victory, giving the Panthers a 63.5% win probability. The Panthers have outscored opponents 32-30 over their last five games despite going 2-3 in that stretch, while the Penguins have been outscored 37-26 over their last five.

Looking ahead

Milwaukee travels to Northern Illinois on Tuesday before returning home for a three-game series against Oakland beginning Thursday. Youngstown State hosts the Panthers again Sunday for the series finale, then visits Wright State next Thursday for a three-game set.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s.