The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team was strong in all facets Thursday night, opening its 2017 season with consecutive victories over St. Thomas (Minn.) in non-conference play at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Warhawks (2-0 overall) bested the Tommies 5-2 in the opener before closing the night with a 10-1 triumph.
St. Thomas (1-2) struck first in the opener before UW-Whitewater tallied five unanswered runs, including two in the top of the third inning, en route to a win.
Junior right-hander
Austin Jones (Wauwatosa, Wis./West) picked up the win on the mound, surrendering only three hits and two walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. Senior righty
Mike Nompleggi (Oconto Falls/Oconto Falls) got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Junior designated hitter
Will Helbing (Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee) and sophomore third baseman
Cal Aldridge (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) knocked in two runs apiece to lead the Warhawks, who pounded out 10 hits in the contest. Junior right fielder
Brett Krause (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) also knocked in one run.
In Game 2, UW-Whitewater took control of the game with a three-run bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a two-run double by junior first baseman
Blake Fleischman (Germantown, Wis./Germantown), who also scored two runs in the game.
Junior centerfielder
Daytona Bryden (Rockton, IL/Hononegah) scored twice and knocked in one run, and senior second baseman
Steve Chamberlain (Rockford, IL/Guilford) recorded two RBI and one run. Senior shortstop
Jordan Kuczynski (Germantown/Germantown) collected two hits and one run scored.
Making his Warhawk debut, senior
Westin Wuethrich (Greenwood, Wis./Greenwood) pitched five innings, allowing one run one hit and four walks while striking out nine. Nompleggi and sophomore
Michael Kaska (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) each tossed one shutout inning in relief.
UW-Whitewater continues play in Minneapolis Friday at 11 a.m. with a doubleheader against Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.).
