Today is Monday, November 25, 2024
By Broderick Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director
Warhawks Advance to 2024 Championship Series with 5-2 Win
Holland’s 8th-inning home run broke up the tie to lead the Warhawks to victory.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team takes Monday’s game two over Salve Regina, 5-2. With the win, the Warhawks advanced to the NCAA DIII Championship Series against Misericordia. A best of three game series will decide the 2024 DIII Baseball National Champion.
In the game against Salve Regina, a quick three-and-out bottom of the first gave the Warhawks some momentum heading into the second inning. Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) led the inning off with a double and Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hit him in two batters latter to open up the scoring for the Warhawks.
The Seahawks tied it back up after a solo home run from Tyler Cannoe. In the top of the third, Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) led off with a double, but the Slave Regina defense got out of the inning, stranding him on second.
The Warhawks responded right back defensively, with a three-up-three-down to get out of the third inning.
The Warhawks regained the lead in the top of the fourth, with Paden hitting his second double of the night, scoring Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles). But Salve Regina tied it right back, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.
The game remained tied 2-2 for the next three innings, with neither team able to put together a rally. Max Huseboe (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) came in to relief Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) in the bottom of the 7th, taking the Salve Regina side down in order for his first inning.
In the top of the 8th, Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) got the momentum back on the Warhawks’ side. Holland sent a lead-off homer the opposite way to finally break the tie and putting the Warhawks up 3-2.
After Holland’s homer, the Warhawks tallied three straight singles from Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port), Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran), and Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) adding another run to their lead.
In response, the Seahawks got a runner on first, but the Warhawk defense kept them off the board. The Warhawks tallied on an insurance run in the Top of the 9th. After video review, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) was called safe on a single that scored Frazer, giving UWW a 5-2 lead.
With another 3-run cushion, Salve Regina had three outs left to make up the runs. Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) came in as the closer for the bottom of the ninth. Eisenbarth fanned the first two batters, but the next two runners made it on base. With two outs and the tying run on the plate, the Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) secured the final out, claiming the victory for the Warhawks.
Huseboe earned the win on the mound and Eisenbarth was awarded the save as the Warhawks advance to the NCAA Championship Series for the first time since 2014.
The Warhawks will take on Misericordia in a best of three-game series. Due to weather, the first game, [which was scheduled to be played on Wednesday,] will be on Tuesday, June 4th at 7 PM EDT/6 PM CDT. The second game will remain on Thursday, June 6th at 11 AM EDT/10 AM CDT with the third game to follow if needed.
Warhawks Force Second Game against Salve Regina with 7-4 win
The two will battle it out for the last spot in the NCAA DIII World Series
By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater forces a second game against Salve Regina after defeating the Seahawks 7-4 on Monday afternoon.
The Warhawks got two base runners in the first inning, but Salve Regina closed out the inning without allowing a Warhawk run. One of the baserunners was Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South), who recorded his 86th hit, setting a new Warhawk single season hit record.
The Seahawks ended up being the ones to break open the scoreboard, a RBI double in the top of the third.
Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) tied it up with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring the first run for the Warhawks against Salve Regina. The Seahawks regained their lead after a runner scored from third as the Warhawks turned a double play.
Down 2-1, it didn’t take long for UWW to regain the lead. With bases loaded, Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) hitting a standing triple down the right field line to put the Warhawks up 4-2. One of the runners that scored was Scolan, who set yet another record with his 78th run, a single season high for the Warhawks.
An inning later, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) singled up the middle to drive in another run. The three-run cushion didn’t last too long, as Salve Regina’s D’Amato hit a two-run to close the Warhawk lead to just one.
After a scoreless inning from both teams in the 7th, Cootway stepped up again with an RBI single. Paden followed him with his own RBI single, regaining the three-run cushion.
Ethan Wickman (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley) and Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) closed out the game for the Warhawks on the mound. Eisenbarth picked up the save, with the Seahawks going down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Wickman picked up the win, pitching the 7th and 8th innings without allowing a hit.
The Warhawks return to the field tonight (estimated start time 8:45 PM EDT – 7:45 PM CDT) against Salve Regina. The two will battle it out for the last spot in the NCAA DIII World Series Finals, [which will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.]
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
In the Pool B Championship game on Monday afternoon, UW-Whitewater (#3) beat Salve Regina (#2) (SR) 7-4. Salve Regina had beaten the Warhawks earlier in the series, 2-0. With this victory, Whitewater stays alive once again and will face SR a third time on Monday evening in a game that will decide which team goes on to the championship on Wednesday and Thursday. The game is scheduled to begin on Monday at 7:00 CDT, but it appears that it could start somewhat later.
Editor’s note: We will hopefully be able to publish a UW-W provided recap of the above game before the start of tonight’s game.
Paden with Walk-Off Homer to Cap off Warhawk Comeback over BSC
Warhawks defeat Birmingham-Southern 11-10 to keep season alive
By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater kept their season alive with an 11-10 win over Birmingham-Southern College. The Warhawks were down by five runs heading into the 7th, but the Warhawks kept their composure and rallied back. The win was capped off by Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hitting a walk-off homer one pitch into the bottom of the 9th.
Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) only needed six batters to get through the first two innings, keeping the Panthers off the base path. The Warhawks offense capitalized in the bottom of the 2nd, with Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) starting off the scoring with a solo home run. Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) followed suit, hitting his own solo homer immediately after.
Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) finished out the 3-run second inning with an RBI single to send Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) home.
Birmingham-Southern used the top of the third to close the gap, as Eli Steadman hit a 2-run homer to close the gap 3-2.
After the Panthers held the Warhawks scoreless in the 3rd, they took the lead with a 3-run 4th inning. The scoring started with another home run.
The game turned into a home run derby, as Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) sent a 2-run homer to right field in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game back up at 5 a-piece.
With the tie game, Birmingham-Southern flipped the momentum back to their side with a four-run frame in the top of the 5th.
In the top of the 6th, the Panthers extended the lead once again, taking a 10-5 lead over the Warhawks. With a three-up-three-down inning for UWW in the bottom of the 6th the Warhawks were running out of outs to play with.
Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) sparked some life back into the Warhawks, hitting a two-run double after a Birmingham-Southern error extended the inning.
With Max Huseboe (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) and Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) combining for a scoreless inning, the Warhawks entered the bottom of the 8th down 10-7.
Scolan kept up his amazing game, with an RBI double to score McVay and close the gap to 10-8. After being quiet offensively for most of the game, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) was due as he scored himself and Scolan with a home run to tie the game up.
Eisenbarth got things done in three batters, including winning a 9-pitch at bat for the final out.
The Warhawks had three outs to score in regulation, but Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) only needed one pitch to walk things off. Paden hit his second home run of the night, keeping the Warhawks’ season alive.
The Warhawks defeated Birmingham-Southern 11-10 after the walk-off. Eisenbarth picked up the win, pitching the final four outs of the game.
The Warhawks will head back out for a rematch against Salve Regina in the Pool B championship game. The first pitch is set for Monday at 1:15 PM ET [12:15 PM in Whitewater.] The Warhawks will need to win two in order to advance to the NCAA World Series Championship Game.
Editor’s note: This game was the last that Birmingham-Southern will ever play, as the college closed effective May 31 due to declining enrollment and financial struggles. Here’s the link to a story about how much being in the World Series meant to Birmingham-Southern’s fans.
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