The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team extended their win streak to 22 games with two wins to open the four-game weekend series against UW-Platteville.
The Warhawks opened the day with a 9-6 win, defending off a late comeback by the Pioneers. In game two, the bats got going early, and with
Ben Lee (Amherst, Wis./Amherst) working on the mound, the Warhawks finished the game in just 7 innings for a 12-1 win.
Since the series was originally supposed to be in Platteville, the Warhawks batted first as the guest team. The Warhawks had the bases loaded just four batters in, but the Pioneers were able to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Warhawks didn't stay quiet for long, with
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) drawing first blood on a RBI double in the second inning.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) followed with a three-run home run on his 13th pitch of the at-bat.
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) tripled to bring in another run, followed by an RBI single from
Jackson Koenig (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) to put the Warhawks up 6-0.
The Warhawks 6-run inning featured a team cycle (Koenig-single, Holland-double, Spring-triple, and Thies-homer).
The Pioneers were able to put a run on the board in the bottom of the frame with a two-out double before scoring stalled over the next three innings.
It was the 6th inning where UWW was able to extend their lead, putting two on the board. Thies recorded an RBI double, before coming around to score with an error to put UWW up 8-1. Platteville answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the 6th.
The Warhawks were retired in order in the 7th, and UW-Platteville took the momentum into the bottom of the frame. The Pioneers scored four runs on four hits to cut the Warhawk lead to just two.
Wyatt Jensen (Luck, Wis./Luck) was able to score an insurance run in the 8th from a balk to put the Warhaks back up by three.
Gradin Taschner (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) shut the door on the Pioneers, only allowing one base runner in the final two innings to get the save.
Sam Steuber (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) picked up the win after pitching the first 6.0 innings with only two earned runs & five strikeouts.
In game two, the Warhawks got going right away, scoring three runs in the top of the first.
Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point),
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North), and
Landen Seymour (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) had the RBIs in the Warhawks' early lead.
The Pioneers had a lead-off single, but
Ben Lee (Amherst, Wis./Amherst) eliminated his runner with an unassisted double-play, catching a pop-up off the mound before tagging the runner himself. Lee didn't allow another hit for the next four innings while the Warhawks racked up an 11-0 lead.
The Warhawks had a crooked number in the second & third innings.
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) began the rally with a RBI double. The Warhawks loaded them up, giving Spring his second RBI of the day after drawing a four-pitch walk.
Landen Seymour (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) closed the 2nd inning with a two-RBI double to put UWW up 7-0.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) and
Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) added the two runs in the third with their bats.
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) put the Warhawks over double-digits with a solo home run in the fourth.
Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) tallied the two-out RBI in the 5th to put the Warhawks up 11-0.
UW-Platteville started to gain some momentum after a lead-off homer to put their first run on the board in the 5th. The Pioneers were able to load up the bags with just one out, but an inning-ending double play kept the Warhawks lead at 10.
The Warhawks weren't able to make it around in the 6th inning, their only scoreless frame in game two. Lee retired the side in his final inning of work, only giving up the one home run on the solo shot.
The Warhawks added one more run at the top of the 7th from an Olson RBI. UWW ended the game with a 643 double play to pick up their 22nd straight win.
The Warhawks will finish the series against the Pioneers in Whitewater tomorrow. The first pitch of the doubleheader will be at 12 PM at Prucha Field.
