The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team claimed their third-straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title with a doubleheader sweep over UW-River Falls on Sunday. The Warhawks extend their win streak to 30 games, improving to 22-0 in WIAC play and clinching the 24th regular-season title in school history.
To start the day, the Falcons took an early lead with a sacrifice fly run in the top of the second. The Warhawks were able to answer back, taking the lead with two runs in the fourth. Landen Seymour (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) drew in a run on a groundout to get the Warhawks on the board, followed by an RBI double from Dominick McVay. IN the fifth, Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) tacked on his own run with an RBI double to take a 3-1 lead after five complete.
UW-River Falls was able to tie up the game in the 6th inning, scoring two runs in the frame. The Warhawks were quickly able to get back ahead, with McVay hitting an RBI double to put the Warhawks back on top. Jackson Koenig (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) traded places with McVay for his own RBI double, putting the Warhawks up by two runs.
Sam Steuber (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) worked through the first 6.0 innings, able to pick up the win with the Warhawks taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Ethan Wickman (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley) came in pitching the final three innings to earn the save. Wickman didn’t allow a single hit in the final three frames, striking out two.
The Warhawks added more insurance runs to build their lead on the Falcons. Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) added a sacrifice fly in the 7th. Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) added a run in the 8th from a sacrifice bunt. Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) put the final touches on the game with a two-run homer to push the Warhawks to the 9-3 win.
In game two, the Warhawks pulled ahead to a run-rule victory, defeating the Faclons 10-0 in 8 innings.
The Warhawks scored three runs in the third inning thanks to a lead-off home run from Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North). Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) RBI single & Landen Seymour’s (Rockton, Ill./Honongah) sacrifice fly put the Warhawks up 3-0.
The fifth inning was even larger, with five runs coming in from three hits. Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) singled to load up the bases, before a balk scored McVay & advanced the runners over. Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) cleared the bags for a 2-RBI single, before Leyten Bowers (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) found the pitch he wanted for a two-run shot down the left field line. Bowers’s homer put the Warhawks up 8-0.
Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) added another run in the 5th, followed by Evan Olson (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) hitting his third RBI of the game to get the run-rule win.
Ben Lee (Amherst, Wis./Amherst) pitched a shutout 6.0 innings to earn the win in game two. Lee only allowed three hits & walked one with three strikeouts.
The Warhawks enter the last week of WIAC regular-season play with five games to go. On Wednesday, UWW will head up to Eau Claire to finish out the rain-out game from April 13th. The Warhawks will finish out the regular season with a four-game home stand against UW-Stout on May 1st & May 2nd.
