Same song, different year.  After defeating UW-Stevens Point twice Saturday, the Pointers rallied to defeat UW-Whitewater twice Sunday, winning 8-1 and 11-7 at University Field in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  UW-W, ranked seventh in the D3baseball.com poll, is 13-4 overall and 6-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  UW-Stevens Point, tenth in the D3 poll, is 11-7 and 2-2 in the league.  Both teams know that the end of their regular season series doesn't mean they have faced each other for the last time this year.

game one box score
UW-Stevens Point's Cody Koback and Ryan Iverson combined to hold UW-Whitewater to three hits in the 8-1 win. 

After putting goose eggs on the board for four innings, UW-SP got on the board first with two runs in the fifth on a two run single off the bat of third baseman Justin Jirschele. 

Whitewater responded in the top of the sixth with first baseman Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) doubling to lead off, advancing to third on a sacrifice by leftfielder Matt Beyer (Janesville/Parker), and coming home on a sacrifice fly by centerfielder Dylan Friend (Burlington/Burlington).  That cut the deficit in half, 2-1 Point.

UW-SP added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, two of them scoring after a single by shortstop Eric Fritz.  The Pointers tacked on a single run in the seventh and two more, with the aid of two Warhawk errors, in the eighth. 

Koback, 2-1, went the first six innings to pick up the win.  Sophomore righthander Justin Lambert (Mt. Horeb/Mt. Horeb), 2-1, took the loss after going six innings.  Justin Mortensen (Hartland/Arrowhead) and Matthew Roberts (Manitowoc /Roncalli) finished up for UW-W without giving up a hit.  UW-SP rightfielder Jared Surman led both teams with a 3x5 day at the plate, with two runs scored.

game two box score
The second game was more like a tennis match, with the teams scoring in more than half of their at bats. 

Donovan and designated hitter Samuel Keller Jr. (Milwaukee/Riverside) each stroked a run scoring single in the top of the first to put UW-W in front 2-0. 

Point answered with a three spot in their first, combining four hits with a Warhawk error to manufacture three runs and a 3-2 lead.

Back to Whitewater.  In the top of the second third baseman Andrew Eichstaedt (Appleton/North) singled in the tying run and catcher Rob Coe (Appleton/North) put UW-W back in front, 4-3, with a one out sacrifice fly. 

Back to Point.  In the bottom of the second leftfielder Bryan Clark doubled, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a ground ball to knot the score at 4-4.

Point took the lead with one run the third -- and then it stayed 5-4 until the bottom of the fifth, when UW-SP put three on the board when Clark, with two outs and two men on via walks, unloaded his first home run of the season.  Point led, 8-4. 

Whitewater took that comfort zone away with two runs in the seventh.  Singles by Donovan and DH Ryan Leavitt (Merrill/Merrill) were followed by Beyer being hit by a pitch to load the bases.  With one out, pinch-hitter Jared Fon (Germantown/Germantown) singled through the right side to cut the deficit in half, 8-6.

Run scoring singles, and a run producing triple by Koback (the game one pitcher) upped the Pointer lead to 11-6 heading into the ninth.

Warhawk pinch-hitter Logan Peot (Suamico/Bayport) brought in an unearned run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth to give UW-W its seventh run, the final score of the game.

Kyle Lee (Beaver Dam/Beaver Dam), 2-1 and the first off three Warhawk pitchers, took the loss.  UW-W rightfielder Daniel Putnam (Ashland /Ashland), on a .500 pace, led both teams with a 4x5 game.  Putnam also scored twice.

UW-W will be back in action Wednesday, April 13, hosting UW-Platteville for a doubleheader that will begin at 1:00 at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium on the north end of the UW-Whitewater campus.  Free parking is adjacent to the field.

For additional information:  John Vodenlich, UW-W coach