Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The UW-Whitewater baseball team split a doubleheader with UW-Platteville Wednesday afternoon in Platteville bouncing back from a 14-9 first game loss to take the nightcap 10-2.

The Warhawks posted two runs in the top of the first. A lead off single and two consecutive walks loaded the bases to start the inning for UW-W and the first run came in on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan Leavitt (Merrill/Merrill). Both trailing runners advanced to the next base on the throw putting runners on second and third. A wild pitch in the next at bat scored Dylan Friend (Burlington/Burlington) from third giving the Warhawks an early 2-0 lead.

Platteville returned with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead 3-2.

Whitewater answered back in the top of the second with Fred Gromalak (Kettle Moriane/Kettle Moraine) getting the bats started with a one-out double down the left field line. Andrew Bauer (Hartland/Arrowhead) reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners. JT Schneider (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) followed with a single to center field to score Gromalak. Friend doubled to left field to score another Warhawk run and another sacrifice fly, this time from Jared Fon (Germantown/Germantown) brought in run three of the inning. Leavitt bunted in the next at bat for a successful squeeze play scoring Friend giving the Warhawks the lead back 6-3 after one and a half.

UW-P brought the score to within one in their half of the inning scoring two runs on one hit.

Friend doubled to right field with one out in the top of fourth and came around to score on Fon's single down the right field line to lengthen the Whitewater lead 7-5.

The Pioneers answered once again posting three runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead 8-7.

The Warhawks posted another run on a leadoff homer from Matt Beyer (Janesville/Parker) to tie the game at 8-8. But the Platteville struck again in the bottom of the fifth with four more runs to put the game out of reach for the Warhawks. Whitewater posted a run in the top of the seventh and UW-P rounded out the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the game 14-9.

UW-W had five hitters post multi-hit performances including Schneider, Friend, Fon, Mike Mierow (Brookfield/Central) and Gromalak. The five combined for seven Warhawk runs and five RBIs.

Quintin Zander (Black Earth/Wisconsin Heights) pitched two innings of relief for the Warhawks for the loss to move to 1-1 on the mound this season. Platteville's Grant Oldenburg improves to 2-1 this season after going 4.1 innings on the mound for the Pioneers.

The Warhawks bounced back in the second game of the day, stiffening on defense while keeping the bats alive. UW-W posted two runs to start the game with Schneider leading off the inning with a walk and Friend following with a home run over right center, his fourth of the season, to give Whitewater the 2-0 lead.

UW-P answered in the bottom of the second with two of their own but that was all the Warhawk defense would allow in the game.

Whitewater's fourth inning produced three more runs with the first two batters reaching on a hit by pitch and a single put runners on the corners. Brandon Egnarski (Watertown/Watertown) notched a sacrifice fly to center to score one run. Travis Wessels (Tomah/Tomah) singled to put runners on the corners for the second time in the inning but Wessels stole second to add another scoring threat. Schneider came up big again with a single to right field that scored two more to make UW-W's lead 5-2 after 3.5 innings.

The Warhawks added to their lead in the top of the seventh with a two-run homer from Fon and Mierow's three run bomb in the top of the ninth sealed the game with Whitewater winning 10-2.

Mierow went 3x5 from the plate with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Schneider, Friend, Fon and Beyer added two hits apiece.

Eric Schmitz (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) picked up the complete game win for UW-W allowing just four hits while striking out seven and walking one in nine innings to improve to 5-2 this season. Platteville's Brad Kerkman falls to 1-1 with a five inning performance.

The Warhawks are now 19-12 overall and 9-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-P is 6-25 and 2-14 in the WIAC.

UW-W will host UW-Stevens Point Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29 with double headers each day beginning at 12:00 at Prucha Field at Miller Stadium in Whitewater.

For additional information: UW-W coach John Vodenlich