UW-Whitewater defeated New York-Cortland 10-2 Saturday afternoon in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III World Series at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. UW-W, 40-9, will play the loser of Chapman College and Johns Hopkins University, a game that is being played now, at 12:00 Sunday. UW-Whitewater's post-season site
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Cortland got on the board first, manufacturing a run by combining a single, a fielder's choice, a Warhawk error and a ground out to bring in the run in the bottom of the second.
Joe Munn (Pleasanton, CA/Pleasanton) led off the third for Whitewater with a double, moved to third on a single by Greg Harder (Waukesha/Waukesha West), and Munn scored on a ground ball to tie the game 1-1.
Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/Wauwatosa East) opened the fourth with a walk, and one out later Kevin Zalnis (Woodstock, IL/Woodstock) hit his 17th home run of the season to make it 3-1 UW-W.
Whitewater scored in each of the last four innings, once in the sixth, and twice each in the seventh, eighth and ninth. Cortland got their second run in the seventh.
Adam Dominick (Waukesha/Waukesha West) went the distance for UW-W, allowing seven hits (all singles), walking two and striking out five to raise his record to 11-2, the third highest victory total in school history, trailing only Kevin Tomasiewicz (15 in 2005) and Greg Reinhard (12 in 2005). Dominick moved up in several categories in the Warhawk record book. With 89 innings pitched this season he passed Darrell Rupnow (1989) and Greg Reinhard (2005). He has thrown 215 innings in his four-year career, moving past Ryan Callahan (2001-2004) on that list. He has rung up 92 strikeouts this season, in fourth place behind current teammate Aaron Dott (Green Lake/Green Lake), and 202 career K's is fourth all-time. Dominick also earned his 22nd career win Saturday. moving him past Jon Madsen (1989-1992) into fourth place.
The two runs scored by the Red Dragons equals their lowest offensive output of the season. They also scored just twice in their season opener, a 5-2 loss to Rowan University. NY-Cortland, which came to the World Series with a 38-game win streak, has been eliminated. The Red Dragons lost to Trinity College 2-1 late Friday night.
Zalnis is third on the season list for home runs, one short of the record of 18 held by Brady Endl (2004) and Pat Tobiasz (1998). Zalnis went 2x4 with two runs scored and two RBI's in the win over Cortland.
Senior outfielder Ben Prather (Chicago, IL/James B. Conant) led both teams with a 3x5 day. He has accumulated 72 hits this season, tied with Aaron Guilbault (2005) for fourth place in UW-W's record book. Prather also passed Joe Shere (1999-2002) with 189 career hits, moving in to third place. Prather also scored twice today, giving him 188 in his career, moving in to a tie with Matt Nichols (1989, 91-92) for sixth on that school career list.
Not to be overlooked, shortstop Greg Harder (Waukesha/Waukesha West), a regular for four seasons, had a hit against Cortland, giving him 176 in his career, moving in to fifth place ahead of Travis Van Zile (2000-2003) and Tom Bonlander (1987-90).
The Warhawks reached the forty win plateau for just the second time in school history. The other came in 2005, when UW-W won the NCAA III championship while compiling a 45-7 record.
The NCAA III baseball championship uses a double elimination format. UW-W opened the series with a 5-1 loss to Linfield College Friday. The loser of Saturday's game, Whitewater versus Chapman or Johns Hopkins, will be eliminated while the winner will have a chance to continue playing through the championship game Tuesday. The Whitewater game will be broadcast on WFAW - 940 AM instead of the usual Kool 106.5. You can listen online and watch the live stats.
