Related Links:
NCAA Midwest Regional Web Page
 
The No. 2/3 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning Friday afternoon but fell just short of its comeback attempt in a 5-2 setback against UW-La Crosse on the second day of the NCAA Division III Championship Midwest Regional at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium in Whitewater.
 
The Warhawks (36-8 overall) will face St. Thomas (Minn.) in an elimination game Saturday at 10 a.m.
 
UW-Whitewater, the regional tournament's top seed, stranded a total of 10 base runners in the contest, including two in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the ninth.
 
The Eagles (30-17), the regional's No. 5 seed, took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the third and added one insurance run each in the sixth and eighth innings.
 
Junior right-hander Austin Jones (Wauwatosa, Wis./West) took the tough-luck loss, dropping to 8-3 in his complete-game effort.
 
Sophomore catcher Mike Aiello (Racine, Wis./Horlick) collected two hits, including a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the second.
 
The Warhawks added another run in the top of the third on a ground ball by sophomore left fielder Matt Wary (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove).
 
The loss was UW-Whitewater's second of the season in eight games against UW-La Crosse, which advances to play Saturday at 4:30 against the winner of the Adrian/Concordia Chicago game.