Today is Thursday, November 28, 2024
By Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Monday, May 31, 2021
NCAA Whitewater Regional Web Page
The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team fell just short Monday in its quest for a bid to the NCAA Division III World Series in an 8-7 defeat against 10th-ranked Adrian (Mich.) in the championship game of the NCAA Whitewater Regional at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks conclude the 2021 season with a 40-7 record after sharing the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 24-4 league record, claiming the conference tournament title and finishing as regional runner-up. UW-W posted a 3-2 mark at the regional tournament, including wins over fifth-seeded Luther, fourth-seeded Penn State Harrisburg and third-seeded Texas Lutheran, and made its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
UW-Whitewater, the No. 2 seed in the regional tournament and the visiting team in Monday’s championship game, held a 7-4 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning before the top-seeded Bulldogs (36-8) rallied to tie the game at 7-7 to send the game into extra innings.
After the Warhawks stranded a runner at second base in the top of the 10th, Adrian won the game on a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the frame.
Pitcher Matt O’Sullivan tossed 8 2/3 innings, striking out 10 for his sixth double-digit strikeout performance of the season. His 125 strikeouts for the year are the second-most in one season in school history. Westin Muir and Ben Muscatello each threw in relief, with Muscatello (1-2) taking the loss.
Left fielder Matt Korman led the offense with three hits, including a solo homer and a two-run double, and finished with four runs batted in. His 22 doubles in 2021 are tied for the second-most in one season in the program record book, and his 68 RBIs are tied for the third-most.
Catcher Ryan Norton hit a two-run homer to start the scoring in the top of the second inning. First baseman Donovan Brandl plated UW-Whitewater’s other run with a groundout in the top of the ninth.
Second baseman Sam Vomhof and shortstop Nick Santoro each reached base twice, Vomhof on a hit and a walk, and Santoro on two walks.
By Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Sunday, May 30, 2021
UW-Whitewater Regional Web Page
The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team will play for the NCAA Whitewater Regional championship, clinching its spot in the title game with a 9-4 victory Sunday against Texas Lutheran at Prucha Field at Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (40-6 overall) will face No. 10 Adrian (Mich.), which defeated UW-W 3-2 earlier Sunday, at 11 a.m. Monday. The winner of Monday’s game will advance to the NCAA Division III World Series, which begins this week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Against Texas Lutheran (30-14), UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 7-0 lead through 4 1/2 innings and held off the 24th-ranked Bulldogs, who drew to within 7-4 thanks to three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and one more in the seventh.
Pinch hitter Ben Wilkins knocked a two-out, two-run triple to right center in the top of the ninth inning to give the Warhawks a pair of key insurance runs. Hayden Fox pitched around a one-out walk in the bottom of the frame to send UW-W to the regional championship game.
Starting pitcher Donovan Brandl earned the win, striking out four over five-plus innings to moe to 7-1 on the year. Connor Moroder tossed the next two innings, and Ben Muscatello pitched a scoreless eighth before giving way to Fox in the ninth.
The Warhawks started the scoring in the top of the second inning on a two-out, run-scoring single through the left side by catcher Ryan Norton. In the third, Brandl hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded for an RBI, and left fielder Matt Korman hit a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage.
In the fourth, second baseman Sam Vomhof hit an RBI double off the wall in left field, and third baseman Tucker Criswell drove a two-run homer deep out to left field to make it 6-0.
Centerfielder Zach Campbell added another run in the fifth with a run-scoring double down the left field line.
Texas Lutheran put a pair of runners on base with two outs trailing by three in the eighth, but Muscatello induced a flyout to end the threat.
In the first game of the day against Adrian (35-8), UW-Whitewater trailed 1-0 after the Bulldogs plated a run in the top of the fifth, but took the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single through the left side by shortstop Nick Santoro.
Adrian retook the lead in the top of the ninth with a pair of runs. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch runner Eric Hughes was thrown out on a close play at the plate trying to score on Norton’s fly ball to right field.
Connor Spear took the tough-luck loss on the mound, striking out seven over eight innings of work and falling to 6-1 on the year.
Santoro led the offense with three hits, and Korman tallied a pair of doubles and one run scored.Brandl and Wilkins also added hits.
By Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Related Links:
NCAA Whitewater Regional Web Page
The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team remained unbeaten at the NCAA Whitewater Regional Saturday with a 6-1 victory against Penn State Harrisburg in a contest at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (39-5 overall), seeded second in the regional, will face No. 10 Adrian, the regional’s top seed, on Sunday at 10 a.m. with a chance to punch their ticket to the regional championship game.
Pitcher Westin Muir tossed a complete game to lead UW-W, striking out a season-high 13 batters in the performance. Muir (9-1) scattered six hits and walked one batter.
UW-Whitewater took the lead for good in the top of the third inning. First baseman Donovan Brandl put the Warhawks on the board with a base hit to center, and left fielder Matt Korman brought another run home with a ground ball to third. Designated hitter Ben Wilkins made it 3-0 with a groundout to third.
After the Lions (29-8) cut the deficit to two runs by scoring in the bottom of the third, UW-W tallied three runs in the seventh on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch issued to Wilkins and a two-run single to center field by catcher Ryan Norton.
Third baseman Tucker Criswell led the Warhawks with three hits and two runs scored. Norton posted two hits with his two RBIs, and second baseman Sam Vomhof registered one hit, one walk and one run scored. Right fielder Jacob DeMeyer reached base three times with one hit and two walks, and two added two runs scored.
By Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Friday, May 28, 2021
NCAA Whitewater Regional Web Page
The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team continued its unbeaten run in the postseason Thursday and Friday with a 20-1 victory against Luther (Iowa) in the first game for both teams of the NCAA Whitewater Regional tournament at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (38-5 overall) collected 15 hits and took advantage of five Luther errors in the game, which was played out over two days due to a suspension of play Thursday night in the bottom of the fifth inning.
UW-Whitewater, the No. 2 seed, led 19-1 when play was suspended. The final four-plus innings were played Friday morning.
After the fifth-seeded Norse (31-15) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, UW-Whitewater tallied 20 unanswered runs, including six in the bottom of the first, one in the third, four in the fourth, eight in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Shortstop Nick Santoro posted four hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in to lead the UW-W offense. Left fielder Matt Korman totaled two hits, three runs scored and a team-high three RBIs. Second baseman/pitcher Sam Vomhof, third baseman Tucker Criswell and outfielder Jacob DeMeyer registered two runs scored and two RBIs apiece.
Designated hitter Ben Wilkins finished with two hits, two runs scored and one RBI, and centerfielder Zach Campbell generated two hits, three runs scored and one RBI.
Pitcher Matt O’Sullivan picked up the win, improving to 10-0 with five innings of work that yielded six strikeouts. Hayden Fox tossed a pair of shutout innings in relief, and was followed by Ben Muscatello and Vomhof, who each pitched a scoreless frame.
UW-Whitewater will face No. 4 seed Penn State Harrisburg Saturday at 10 a.m.. The Lions defeated third-seeded Texas Lutheran 6-4 on Friday afternoon.
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