By: Christian van Helden, Athletic Communications Intern
 
The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team dropped two games against Concordia Chicago Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
 
The Warhawks (14-3) were defeated 8-5 in the first game, and fell just short despite a rally in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap by a 6-5 score.
 
UW-Whitewater trailed in the opener 6-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore centerfielder Daytona Bryden (Rockton, IL/Hononegah) singling home freshman third baseman Cal Aldridge (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge).
 
In the fifth inning, the Warhawks cut the Cougars' lead to 6-4. Junior second baseman Jordan Kuczynski (Germantown/Germantown) hit an RBI double down the left field line to bring sophomore right fielder Austin Jones (Wauwatosa, Wis./West) and freshman second baseman McCauley Cox (Janesville, Wis./Craig) around to score. An RBI single by Aldridge on the next at-bat plated Kuczynski from second base and was one of Aldridge's four hits in the contest.
 
Senior catcher Dane Burman (Milton, Wis./Milton) brought the Warhawks to within one on a sacrifice fly to left field in the sixth.
 
Concordia Chicago (18-7) added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings.
 
Senior LHP Connor Hurst (Waunakee/Waunakee) started and took the loss to drop to 2-1 on the season. Sophomore Heath Renz (Jefferson, Wis./Jefferson) pitched the final six innings, surrendering just two earned runs while striking out five.
 
In the second game, Jones and Burman posted consecutive two-out, run-scoring hits in the bottom of the ninth to put the winning run at first base, but the Cougars escaped the jam to complete the sweep.
 
UW-Whitewater left 12 men on base in the contest, including two on five separate occasions.
 
Sophomore right-hander Lake Bachar (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) pitched the first four innings and took the loss, falling to 4-2 despite allowing just one unearned run and striking out six. Sophomore John Olejniczak (Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso), junior Matt Langlie (Mundelein, IL/Mundelein) and freshman Sam Heilenbach (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) pitched relief stints.
 
Trailing 5-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Warhawks battled back as junior second baseman Dylan Bersch (Pulaski/Pulaski) singled to the left side, bringing Kuczynski around to score. Later in the same inning, sophomore first baseman Blake Fleischman (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) knocked a two-run single to right to bring UW-Whitewater within 5-3. 
 
UW-Whitewater hits the road to play conference opponent UW-Platteville in a four-game series starting with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is 12 p.m.