The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball took the conference opener double-header over UW-Stevens Point with two wins in their home opener. In game one, Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) drew a walk-off walk to give the Warhawks an 8-7 win after 10 innings. In game two, the Warhawks defeated the Pointers 10-8 win with the help of five homers from UWW's sluggers.

UW-Stevens Point jumped out to an early lead in the first game of the series, hitting a grand slam after just four batters to take an early 4-0 lead. Sam Steuber (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) bounced back quickly, sending the next six batters down in order to get the Warhawks back on the offensive end. UWW cut the lead down to just two with RBI singles from Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) & Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) in the bottom of the second. 

Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) put another run on the board with a solo homer in the third. Steuber kept the Pointers close, only allowing a single base runner over the next three innings. 

The Warhawks took the lead in the bottom of the sixth in game one with a three-run shot from Brady Gilroy (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central). UWSP tied it back up at 6-6 in the top of the 7th, but Hopper reached home on a wild pitch to give the lead back to the Warhawks. 

The Pointers tied it back up in the 8th, & the Warhawks weren't able to close it out in regulation, sending the game into extras. Gradin Taschner (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) helped allow only one extra inning, recording two strikeouts in the top of the 10th to keep the Pointers scoreless.

The Warhawks loaded up the bases in their frame. Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) drew the full count walk with two outs to walk it off & start the Warhawks off 1-0 in conference play.

In game two, UWSP took another early lead with a 2-RBI single in the top of the first. UWW matched it back up with a tally in the bottom of the first & second. Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) had the RBI single in the first to open up scoring. Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) started his game two with an RBI triple to tie up the game in the second.

A solo home run from UWSP gave them a 3-2 lead, but that didn't last for long with the Warhawks scoring seven runs in the bottom of the third. Brady Gilroy (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central) & Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) hit back-to-back jacks to kick-off the scoring. Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) drew a walk, allowing Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) to hit a 2-RBI homer. 

Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) passed the bat with a single, scoring on Jackson Spring's (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) double. Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) hit the fourth homer of the inning to cap off the inning & give the Warhawks a 9-3 lead. 

UW-Stevens Point didn't go away quietly, scoring five runs, four from their second grand slam of the day, in the top of the 4th. Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) was able to add an insurance run in the bottom of the frame, putting the Warhawks up 10-8 with a lead-off homer, his second one of the game. 

The defense got to work in the second half of the game. After 18 runs scored in just four innings, the teams combined for just six hits in the final 4.5 innings. Ethan Wickman (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley) went 4.1 innings of scoreless baseball to pick up the win and Benjy Tucker (Alpharetta, Ga./Mount Pisgah) secured the save, pitching the last 1.1 innings of the game as the Warhawks took game 2, 10-8.

The Warhawks will finish out the four-game series against the Pointers tomorrow, Sunday, March 28th. First pitch in the third game is scheduled for 12 PM at Prucha Field.