The No. 16 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater opened the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a victory over UW-Stevens Point at Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The Warhawks (28-12 overall) edged the Pointers 5-4 in ten innings of play.
Senior
Curtis Morgan (Green Lake/Green Lake) got the start for UW-Whitewater. Morgan's final line was six innings, nine hits, three runs, and eight strike outs.
Sophomore
Heath Renz (Jefferson, Wis./Jefferson) earned his sixth victory of the season. Renz entered the game in the seventh inning and made two quick outs, before a passed ball scored another run for UW-Stevens Point to make the score 1-3.
Sophomore first baseman
Blake Fleischman (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) got things started in the bottom of the eighth inning with a lead-off home run to right field to cut the Pointers lead in half and make the score 2-3. Fleischman finished the night 3-for-5 with a run batted in and a run scored to lead the UW-Whitewater offense.
Later in the inning the Warhawks loaded the bases with one out, before sophomore centerfielder
Daytona Bryden (Rockton, IL/Hononegah) hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored sophomore second baseman
Steve Chamberlain (Rockford, IL/Guilford) to tie the game 3-3.
UW-Stevens Point (21-20 overall) scored in the top of the tenth inning on a groundout to second and take the lead 3-4. The Warhawks responded in the bottom of the tenth inning thanks to a hard hit ball by sophomore outfielder
Kyle Jones (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) which was mishandled by the Pointers second baseman, freshman outfielder
Matt Wary (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) scored on the play.
The next batter junior shortstop
Jordan Kuczynski (Germantown/Germantown) singled home Bryden for the walk-off game ending run. Kuczynski finished the night 2-for-6 with a run batted in.
Senior Catcher
Dane Burman (Milton, Wis./Milton), freshman third baseman
Cal Aldridge (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), Chamberlain, Bryden, and Wary all recorded a base hit on the night.
The Warhawks will be back in action tomorrow night as they take on the one seed UW-La Crosse at 4 p.m. at Copeland Park.