The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team completed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season with an unblemished 28-0 record after a series sweep over UW-Stout in the final weekend. No other team has achieved this feat in the current iteration of the conference schedule.
The Warhawks defeated the Blue Devils 9-1, followed by an offensive outburst in game two for the 16-0 run-rule win.
In game one, a quick bases-loaded situation for the Warhawks resulted in two runs after
Landen Seymour (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) drew a walk, followed by an infield single from Dominick McVay. The Warhawks took a 2-0 lead, but UW-Stout was able to avoid the shutout in game one with an RBI single in the top of the 2nd.
That would be the only run for the Blue Devils, though, with
Ben Lee (Amherst, Wis./Amherst) going 7.0 innings with just the one run. Lee fanned four batters & only allowed four hits.
The Warhawks built up the lead slowly with single runs in four of the next six innings.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) tallied an RBI in the second & fourth innings, one on a fielder's choice, one on a double.
Dom McVay put the Warhawks up 5-1 on another fielder's choice ball in the fifth. In the 7th inning,
Landen Seymour (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) grounded a run in to put the Warhawks up by five.
UW-Whitewater capped off game one with a crooked number in the bottom of the 8th.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) hit a 2-RBI double, scoring himself from an RBI from
Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly). Thies finished game one with four RBIs as the Warhawks won 9-1.
In game two, the Warhawks tallied exactly two runs in each of the first five innings.
Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) and
Jackson Koenig (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) had the RBI singles in the first inning. Thies followed with a two-run homer in the second. Then in the third, Dominick McVay hit an RBI single, with
Keli Grennier (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) scoring another in the sacrifice bunt.
Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) scored the 7th run in the fourth, with
Jackson Spring (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in the 8th.
Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) brought in both of the 5th inning runs with a single to put the Warhawks up by double digits at 10-0 in the 5th.
Franklin Kirchner (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Conant) kept the Blue Devils off the board with 4.0 in his 5th win of the season. Kirchner only allowed one hit, but he only faced the minimum due to a pick off. Kirchner tallied 6 Ks in his 12 straight outs.
Skyler Sievert (Laguna Niguel, Cal./Dana Hills) &
Theo Zeidler (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port) provided middle-inning relief, both keeping the shutout going.
The Warhawks finally got over the two-run hump in the 6th inning.
Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) led off the inning with a solo home run over the right field scoreboard. McVay added the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to put the Warhawks up 12-0.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) hit his second home run of the game, this time a grand slam over the scoreboard, to put the Warhawks up 16-0 & give him 6 RBIs on the game. Thies finished the day with 10 RBIs over the two games.
Gradin Taschner (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) closed the game at the top of the 7th, allowing just one single while striking out to two to complete the perfect WIAC regular season.
The Warhawks will end their regular season with a non-conference game against Ripon College on Tuesday, May 5th. First pitch of the single game is set for 2 PM. The Warhawks will return to Prucha Field to host the WIAC Tournament starting on Thursday, May 7th.
