Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North)'s two home runs powered UW-Whitewater to a 7-6 win over UW-Platteville in game one and a sixteen hit attack resulted in an 8-2 win in the nightcap in a twinbill played in Platteville Tuesday.  UW-W, ranked ninth in Division III, raised its record to 23-5 overall and 6-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Platteville is 17-13 and7-5 in league play.
 
Offense was the story of the first game for both teams. UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville each posted ten hits in the game but the Pioneers left nine runners on base and the Warhawks had all but three baserunners cross the plate.
 
UW-W jumped out to a quick lead with a two-run homerun over the right centerfield fence by Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) that scored Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove).
 
UW-P came back with a two-run homer to tie the game in the bottom of the third and took the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth.  The Pioneers had two more cross the plate in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead after five complete.
 
Whitewater didn't fold, putting up three runs in the top of sixth. Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) led off with an infield single and Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) advanced Ramirez to second with a single down the right field line. Laura Eichenold (Elmwood Park, IL/Trinity) stepped up to the plate with two runners on and notched her second homer of the season to tie the game at five apiece.
 
Evangelista gave UW-W the lead back with her second homer of the game, again a two-run shot but this time over left center.
 
Platteville threatened in the bottom of the seventh bringing in one run, but the Warhawk defense stiffened with the bases loaded, and just one out, and didn't allow the tying run to touch home finishing out the game with the 7-6 win.
 
Evangelista and Eichenold combined for 7-for-7 at the plate with all seven RBIs, and three runs scored.
 
Amy Christopher (Lafayette, CO/Holy Family) came in for 1.2 innings to pick up the win for Whitewater. She is now 6-1.

In game two Epifanio singled in the first run in the bottom of the second, and Platteville's Audrey Gronen led off the second with a solo homer to tie the score.  Warhawk Morgan Kirsch drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the fourth, and Whitewater combined four singles, a passed ball and a fielder's choice for three runs and a 5-1 lead in the top of the sixth.  Colleen Lowe hit another leadoff homer for Platteville in the sixth to make it 5-2. 

Whitewater collected three consecutive singles in the top of the seventh to load the bases, then plated one on a Pioneer throwing error and Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) brought in two more with a single to give UW-W the 8-2 lead.

Epifanio continued her big day, leading the UW-W offense with a 3x4 game.  Five Warhawk teammates collected two hits apiece.  Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) went the distance, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five to raise her record to 8-2.

UW-W will play two games at Saint Norbert College in DePere Wednesday.  The Warhawks will be at home Saturday and Sunday, hosting UW-Stout and UW-River Falls in doubleheaders.  The action versus the Blue Devils begins at 2:00 Saturday and 12:00 Sunday against the Falcons at van Steenderen Field, west of Perkins Stadium and northwest of Williams Center on campus.

For additional information:  Brenda Volk, UW-W coach