UW-Whitewater, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, opened play in the WIAC Tournament at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids with a 14-9 win over UW-La Crosse Friday morning behind a pair of home runs and six runs batted in by junior third baseman Kevin Zalnis (Woodstock, IL/Woodstock).  The Warhawks, 34-6, will play the winner of Friday's second game, UW-Oshkosh versus UW-Stevens Point, Friday evening at approximately 8:00 p.m.  UW-Whitewater's post-season site

box score

Centerfielder Storm Gram hit a two-out home run in the top of the first to put UW-L in front.  In the bottom half of the inning UW-W came back with four runs, with the help of two hit batsmen, a wild pitch and an Eagle error.  UW-W made it 6-1 on a two run home run by Kevin Zalnis (Woodstock, IL/Woodstock), his first of two round-trippers, in the second. 

La Crosse cut it 6-3 in the fourth, using three hits to plate a pair of runs.  Whitewater got the two back in its half of the inning, with three Eagle errors aiding the Warhawks.  Senior catcher Billy Johnson (Kenosha/Kenosha Tremper) hit a two run homer in the fifth, and another UW-L error added a third run that inning to make it 11-3.  La Crosse whittled away on the deficit, scoring once in the sixth and one more in the seventh to pull within 11-5.  The Eagles pulled even closer with four more in the top of the eighth, two coming in on a double by senior thirdbaseman Tony Peterson to chase UW-W starter Adam Dominick (Waukesha/Waukesha West).  UW-L added two more against reliever Greg Reik, and had the tying run at the plate, before Reik got the third out on a pop fly foul. 

Leading 11-9 going in to the bottom of the eighth, tacked on three insurance runs on Zalnis' second homer of the game, this time bringing in all three runs.  Zalnis leads UW-W with fourteen home runs this season.  Fourteen homers ties Zalnis for third place in the school record book, equaling the season totals of Bill Wickman (1989), Dan Schrum (2003) and Ross Klawitter (2005).  Pat Tobiasz (1998) and Brady Endl (2004) hold the school record with 18.  Zalnis also drove in six runs in the game, tying Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/Wauwatosa East)'s team best (accomplished twice) this season. 

Dominick picked up the win, upping his mark to 9-2.  Dominick's seven innings were also important in saving some pitching for the double elimination tournament, where the winning team could play five games in a weekend.  The WIAC Tournament, using a double elimination format, is scheduled to end Saturday night.

UW-W, 34-6, is ranked fifth and eighth in the two national NCAA III polls.  The Warhawks are the WIAC champion and the number one seed in this tourney.  UW-L, the fourth seed in the WIAC tourney, is 19-19.