UW-Whitewater, ranked eleventh in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll, defeated UW-La Crosse 4-0 and 6-4, with sophomore lefthander Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) picking up the win in both contests.
game one box score
game two box score
photo gallery courtesy of Kristi Clark
In game one Whitewater broke a scoreless pitching duel with three runs in the bottom of the third. Lauren Cruz (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West) doubled in two runs and Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) brought in run number three with a single.
La Crosse threatened in the sixth, loading the bases with three singles. The inning ended with a dropped third strike, which UW-W catcher Liz Yucuis (S. Elgin, IL/St. Charles East) picked up and stepped on the plate for the force play at the third out.
Kate McDonnell (Aurora, IL/West Aurora)'s home run in the bottom of the sixth, her first of the season, concluded the scoring.
The Warhawks had ten hits in the game. Amy Gahl (Beloit/Parkview) went 2x4 for UW-W as teammates LeBeau and Nicole Bothun (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) both went 2x3 at the plate. Rachel Croak and Jenna Ahnen were both 2x3 for the Eagles. Whitewater's Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) allowed just one walk and struck out eight in notching her fifth shutout of the season and raising her record to 11-1. La Crosse used three pitchers.
Whitewater scored in each of the first three innings in game two. Cruz drove in a run in the first with a single, and Yucuis hit her fourth homer of the season to make it 2-0 in the second. La Crosse cut the margin to 2-1 in the top of the third. Cruz accounted for two more runs in the third with her seventh round-tripper of the season.
La Crosse tied the game with three in the top of the fourth. The Eagles had just two hits in the frame, but three walks, two wild pitches and a Warhawk error helped UW-L tie the game at 4-4.
Yucuis broke the tie with her second homer of the game, scoring what proved to be the two winning runs.
Katie Pietrowiak and Croak had two hits apiece for the Eagles. Yucuis and Cruz drove in three runs each on their 2x3 game. Stang came on in the fourth, did not allow a run on two hits. She struck out five and walked two to pick up her twelfth win of the season.
UW-Whitewater will play at Lawrence University in Appleton Thursday, then return home to host doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. The Warhawks will host UW-Superior Saturday and UW-Eau
Claire Sunday, both twinbills beginning at noon at van Steenderen Field. Van Steenderen Field is north of Williams Center and west of Perkins Stadium on the north end of the UW-W campus.
For additional information: Brenda Volk, UW-W coach
