UW-Whitewater (38-8) defeated the University of St. Thomas 4-1 on Friday at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Midwest Regional at E.J. Schneider Field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Warhawks advance to the Regional Championship game on Saturday at noon. The Tommies (34-8) will play again on Friday, May 16 at 4:00 pm. UW-Whitewater post-season website. NCAA Midwest Regional host website.
Box Score
The Tommies were the first to score in the bottom of the third when Matt McQuillan reached on a UW-W error and later scored on another error.
UW-Whitewater didn't get their first hit until the top half of the fourth when Tom Corcoran (Rochester, MN/Rochester) slapped a shot to center field for a double. The Warhawks advanced Corcoran to third on a ground-out by Kevin Zalnis (Woodstock, IL/Woodstock) but were unable to tie the score as Matt Schuld retired the last batter of the inning with another ground-out.
In the top of the fifth, with one out, Joe Munn (Pleasanton, CA/Pleasanton) was hit by a pitch to reach first base. With a hit-and-run on, the next batter, Billy Johnson (Kenosha/Kenosha Tremper) made contact and reached first base on an error while Munn advanced to third. Mike Kenseth (Milwaukee/West Allis Hale) followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Munn to tie the game.
Nine innings was not enough to decide the outcome as neither team scored a run after the Warhawks tied the game in the top of the fifth.
Jordan Stine (Merrill/Merrill) led off the top of the tenth with a base hit to center field to get things going for UW-W. Relief pitcher Dan Leslie then struck Munn with an errant pitch to put runners on first and second. Stine was thrown out at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Johnson but Johnson reached to keep two baserunners for the Warhawks. A Kenseth single followed to score Munn and another single by Kuhlmann scored both Johnson and Kenseth to give the Warhawks a 4-1 advantage.
The Warhawks were led by Kuhlmann who went 2x5 and Kenseth who went 1x3, both drove in two runs.
Mike Jacobson (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) pitched all ten innings giving up only one run and four hits while striking out six. Schuld went nine innings striking out six, giving up four hits and two runs before exiting the game. Dan Leslie finished the game for St. Thomas surrendering three hits and two runs.
For additional information:
John Vodenlich, UW-W head coach, 262-472-1420
UW-W baseball website
