The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team took two games from UW-La Crosse in an unexpected home game as the weather moved the doubleheader from La Crosse to Prucha Field. The Warhawks extended their win streak to 13 games while ending the Eagles' 12-game win streak.
Since the game was originally scheduled to be in La Crosse, the Warhawks took the offensive plate first as the designated away team.
The game started as a pitching battle. Lleyten Bowers had a hit for the Warhawks in the first inning, but then UWW didn't have another hit until the fifth inning.
Sam Steuber (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) started his day with a walk, but then pitched six out straights to hold UW-La Crosse hitless through two innings. The Eaqgles rallied two hits in the bottom of the 3rd, but Steuber and the Warhawk defense kept the Eagles scoreless.
UWW drew first blood in the 5th inning.
Brady Gilroy (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central) hit a single, with
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) using his speed to get from second to home to put the Warhawks up 1-0.
Steuber retired the side in order in the bottom of the 5th, giving UWW the momentum for a crooked number in the top of the 6th.
Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) drew a lead-off walk, with
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) hitting an RBI double to start the scoring. Dominick McVay's two-RBI single put UWW up 4-0 and forced a change on the Eagles' mound. Spring's sacrifice fly scored the last run of the inning.
Steuber worked through two more hitless innings, ending his day after the 7th inning. Steuber pitched 7.0 scoreless innings, only allowing the two hits back in the third inning.
The Warhawks held UWL to just one run the rest of the game. The Eagles avoided the shutout with a sacrifice fly in the 9th inning.
The second game of the day made it through three innings before an rain delay halted play in the bottom of the third.
The inning-by-inning line was identical to game one. The Warhawks tallied one run in the fifth and four runs in the sixth.
Gradin Taschner (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) had the start on the mound, allowing a single hit before the rain delay. Taschner returned after play resumed and tossed another two scoreless innings, only allowing two hits on the day.
The Warhawk offense started in the fifth, with a lead-off double from
Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly).
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) traded places with Olson with his own double for the Warhawks lone run in the fifth.
UWW kept the bats moving in the sixth.
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) led off with a single. Spring rounded the bases with the help of an RBI from
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles).
Two full count walks from Olson & Lleyten Bowers loaded the bags.
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) cleaned it up with a three-RBI double to put the Warhawks up 5-0.
UW-La Crosse was able to get a run back in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI single. The hit was nearly a two-RBI single, but
Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) threw the trailing runner out at home for the third out of the inning.
After his 82 put-out, McVay drew a four-pitch walk to begin the top of the 7th. McVay worked his way around, scoring on an error to put the Warhawks up 6-1 with three innings left.
Jackson Koenig (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) and
Franklin Kirchner (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Conant) combined for the final nine outs, not allowing a single hit and issuing just a single walk.
The Warhawks out-hit the Eagles 11-5 in game two.
Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) tallied four out of the Warhawks' five RBIs in the win.
The Warhawks will finish out the conference series against UW-La Crosse on Monday, April 6th, scheduled to be back in La Crosse at 1 PM.
