Chicago, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play with a doubleheader sweep at Illinois Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at Ed Glancy Field. The Eagles won the opener, 6-1, and the nightcap, 5-4, to improve to 10-5 overall and 2-0 in the WIAC. The Scarlet Hawks drop to 8-10 overall and 0-4 in the WIAC. 

It was the first-ever meetings between the two teams.
 

In the opener, Mason McMahon (3-0) earned the complete-game victory for UWL. He went 9.0 innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out 13. It marked his fourth game this season with at least 10 strikeouts. McMahon retired 18 consecutive batters from the bottom of the first through the two outs in the bottom of the seventh. IIT advanced only two runners past first base in the game. 

UWL took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit. Nate Heili and Zach Carney walked to start the game. Heili advanced to third on Shane Coker's fly-out and then scored on Brennan Schmitt's sacrifice fly.  The Eagles scored three unearned runs in the top of the fifth after a pair of Scarlet Hawks' errors. Luke Schmitt scored on Heili's groundout to make it 2-0. Nate Roethle came in on a IIT error for a 3-0 lead and Carney scored on Brennan Schmitt's single for a 4-0 advantage. 

Roethle and Heili added RBI singles in the top of the ninth for UWL. ITT got on the board in the bottom of the inning to avoid the shutout as Nick Worden scored on Jacob Sorenson's groundout.  

UWL finished with eight hits in the opener Saturday with Carney and Luke Schmitt each totaling two. Heili and Brennan Schmitt each finished with two RBI while Luke Schmitt and Roethle scored twice each. 

James Tarala (3-2) suffered the complete-game loss for IIT, pitching 9.0 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs (three earned) and two walks with three strikeouts. The Scarlet Hawks totaled four hits with Zachary Dickey finishing 2-for-4. 

In the nightcap, UWL took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Heili scored on Coker's fielder's choice. IIT tallied three runs in the bottom of the first. Dickey's single scored Michael Courtney to tie the game followed by Ted Howell's two-run double knocking in Sorenson and Dickey to give the Scarlet Hawks a 3-1 lead.

The Eagles tied the game in the top of the fourth as Brady Stolzman scored on Roethle's single and Mitch Sutton came in on an ITT error on the same play. UWL took a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth as Stolzman came in with an unearned run on Luke Schmitt's RBI double. Schmitt later scored on an error. ITT cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh with Orlando Cardenas-Juan scoring on a UWL error. The Scarlet Hawks put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but a pair of fly-ball outs ended the game. 

Connor Cook (2-3) earned the victory for UWL, going 7.0 innings, allowing 12 hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out five. Caleb Willems picked up his third save of the season, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts. It is Willems' 11th career save, moving him into third on UWL's all-time list. Cory Anderson (1995-98) is the career leader with 22 saves while James Sadowske (2014-15) is second with 12.

UWL finished with nine hits in the nightcap with Stolzman and Mitch Sutton each going 2-for-4. Stolzman also scored twice.

Ryan Cantlin (3-2) took the loss for IIT, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs (one earned) with three strikeouts. The Scarlet Hawks had 14 hits with Howell finishing 4-for-4 with two RBI. Courtney, Sorenson, Dickey and Cardenas-Juan with two hits each.

The teams will play another doubleheader Sunday, April 8 starting at noon.