UW-W kept a number of streaks alive with a doubleheader sweep, 8-3 and 7-3, Tuesday at van Steenderen Field in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Most important, the wins upped the Warhawks winning streak to sixteen games and their overall mark to 34-3. UW-W also remained perfect at home, 13-0 in its final home appearance of the season; went to 20-0 when a Warhawk hits a home run; and stayed unbeaten, 24-0, when scoring six or more runs.
game one box
game two box
Elmhurst freshman Lindsay Nauman had UW-W on the ropes in game one, limiting the Warhawks to three hits and keeping them off the scoreboard through five innings. Meanwhile, her Bluejay teammates scored single runs in the second, fifth and sixth --- all unearned, to lead 3-0 going in to the bottom of the sixth.
But as someone will say, that's why a game is seven innings. Whitewater combined six hits with two walks and a wild pitch to score eight runs. Amy Gahl (Beloit/Parkview) and Ashley Smith (Elgin, IL/St. Edward Catholic) drove in the first two runs with singles, one came home on a wild pitch, Cruz# singled in the fourth and fifth runs, and #Amanda LeBeau hit her fourth home run of the year to bring in the last three.
Smith, Cruz and catcher Liz Yucius had two hits apiece for UW-W, and Jordyn Gaza (Mundelein, IL/Carmel Catholic) reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) went the distance for UW-W, allowing three hits and three runs, with six strikeouts to raise her record to 17-1.
UW-W used a similar strategy in game two, but they didn't wait as long. Tied 1-1 going in to the bottom of the third, Whitewater scored five times in the third with the aid of an Elmhurst error, a walk, a sacrifice and a hit batter. Suzanne Gersich (Wadsworth, IL/Warren) singled in one run, Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) drew a walk to bring in a run, Liz Yucius singled in two, and the fifth came in on a ground ball.
The Bluejays responded with runs in the top of the fourth and fifth, but that was the end of the scoring, 7-3.
Yucius went 3x3 with four runs batted in to lead UW-W at the plate. Stacy Bahr (Racine/Park) pitched the first five innings to improve her record to 10-1, and Brittany LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) contributed two innings of relief.
UW-W will enter play in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament as the number one seed, having clinched the league title last Friday. The Warhawks will play the host school, UW-Superior, 10-18, at noon Friday. The league tourney uses a double elimination format with the champion earning the WIAC's automatic berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship tournament.
For additional information: Brenda Volk, UW-W coach
