The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team clinched the outright WIAC Championship and hosting rights for the conference tournament after two wins over UW-Stevens Point on Friday afternoon.
In the first game,
Wyatt Hansen (New Braunfels, Texas/Smithson Valley) had a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth for the 8-7 win. The second game was close until a rally in the 7th sealed the win for the Warhawks.
The Warhawks opened up scoring right away, with a lead-off homer by
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North). UW-Stevens Point answered back with their own run in the top of the second, before going on their own hitting rally in the 3rd.
The Pointers scored five runs on six hits in the third inning, with a 6-1 lead.
Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) closed the gap with a RBI single, but the Warhawks found themselves down 7-2 heading into the 7th inning.
The Warhawks put up four runs in the bottom of the seventh to make an interesting finish. Scolan's hit followed the foul line, but stayed fair to drive in two runs, a batter latter,
Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) singled bringing the Warhawks within one.
Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) hit in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth, after the Warhawk defense had a shutout inning. In the top of the ninth, the Pointers got one runner on, but Holland made a great throw to catch him stealing and set-up the walk-off opportunity.
The first two Warhawk runners got on base, but it was
Wyatt Hansen (New Braunfels, Texas/Smithson Valley) who finished it off with the walk-off single.
The Pointers looked to take revenge the second game, scoring a run in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly. UW-Whitewater responded back with two runs, to take the lead after two innings.
UW-Stevens Point took back the lead in the third, and held it for most of the game. But a four run inning in the bottom of the seventh all but sealed the game.
Dominick McVay hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the 8th as the final nail, as the Warhawks had a quick three-and-out in the top of the ninth.
UW-Whitewater will finish out the series against UW-Stevens Point tomorrow with a double-header set to start at 12 PM.
