"Everybody bats, everybody hits", heard on every Little League diamond, was the order of the day as UW-Whitewater defeated Hamline University 18-1 and 13-1 Thursday afternoon in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Warhawks, 3-0, have scored 43 runs and stroked 49 hits, including fifteen for extra bases, in the three wins.
box score game one
box score game two
In game one Whitewater scored the only runs it would need, three, in the first inning. Ben Kuhlmann (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) and Travis Wessels (Tomah/Tomah) drove in runs with singles in the first. UW-W began the second with back to back doubles, and catcher Rob Coe (Appleton/North) brought in two runs with the third double in the four run inning.
The Warhawks scored nine times in the fourth inning. Kuhlmann drove in two with a double, Wessels drove in two with a double, designated hitter Ryan Mullin (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park ) tripled to score two, and first baseman Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) socked a two run home run.
Whitewater added another run in the fifth, and Hamline got on the board in the sixth, combining two hits and two ground outs for their lone tally.
Whitewater got that run back in the bottom of the sixth, despite a double play.
Hamline left two men on base in the seventh, without scoring, to end the game on the run differential rule.
Kuhlmann went 3x4, with his two doubles, and three runs batted in, and rightfielder Daniel Putnam (Ashland /Ashland) was 3x5, including a triple. Donovan led UW-W with four RBI's, with his second homer in as many games.
Sophomore lefthander Aaron Leitner (Chilton/Chilton ) gave up just two hits and no runs in five innings of work to pick up the win. Sophomore righthander Eric Schmitz (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) went the final two innings, giving up the run on three hits. Leitner struck out one and walked one.
Game two was more of the same. It was over after the Warhawks opened with three runs in the top of the first, with Donovan, Kuhlmann and Coe driving in the runs.
Whitewater added two more in the second to go up 5-0, and Hamline responded with its only score of the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Centefielder Jordan Stine (Merrill/Merrill ) singled in two more in the fourth to make it 7-1. UW-W upped it to 12-1 with five more in the fifth. That outburst included four hits, two for extra bases, a wild pitch, a walk, and two fielder's choice plays.
Donovan singled in the final run in the seventh, and Hamline left two on base in the bottom of the inning as the game ended because of the run differential rule.
Nick Rechlitz (Milwaukee/Marquette) led UW-W with three hits and five teammates chipped in with two each. Donovan and Stine had three RBI's each.
Senior righthander Jason Hooper (Lake Mills/Lake Mills) picked up his first win of the season with five innings of one hit and one earned run. Hooper walked one and struck out three. Ben Versnik (West Allis/Hale) and Donovan closed out the game with one inning relief work apiece.
UW-W, in the "others receiving votes" category of the D3baseball.com preseason poll, will open the home season March 27 at 1:00 against Ripon College at Prucha Field in Miller Stadium.
For additional information: John Vodenlich, UW-W coach
