La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team split a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader with top-ranked UW-Whitewater Saturday afternoon at Copeland Park. The Eagles earned a 8-4 win in the opener before the Warhawks came back to take the nightcap, 11-1. UWL is now 24-13 overall and 14-8 in the WIAC while UW-Whitewater is 29-6 overall and 18-4 in the conference. 

With the win in the nightcap, UW-Whitewater clinches at least a share of the WIAC regular-season title. It is the Warhawks' 18th league title in school history. UW-Whitewater is ranked first on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll and fourth in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top-30 Poll. UWL is receiving votes on the Collegiate Baseball/ABCA Poll.

In the opener, UW-Whitewater took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on Mike Aiello's RBI ground out and Matt Wary's run-scoring single. UWL took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times on three hits. Shane Coker scored on Alex Robson's ground out to cut the lead to 2-1 and Brennan Schmitt followed with a two-out two-run home run scoring Nate Heili for a 3-2 lead. 

The Warhawks tied the game in the top of the fifth on Cal Aldridge's single knocking in Daytona Bryden. UW-Whitewater took a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth on Wary's two-out single scoring Alex Doud. 

UWL regained the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles from Heili and Mitch Sutton to score Zach Carney and Coker. The Eagles scored three runs on five hits in the bottom of the eighth to take 8-4 lead. Brady Stolzman led-off with a home run to make it 6-4 and Heili and Sutton added two-out RBI singles knocking in Carney and Coker again.

Caleb

Willems (4-1) earned the win for UWL, pitching 4.0 innings in relief, allowing one hit while striking out one. Mason McMahon started for the Eagles, going 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs and three walks with seven strikeouts.  

UWL catcher Nate Roethle threw out four UW-Whitewater runners attempting to steal in Saturday's opener. 

All nine starters had a hit for UWL in the opener as the Eagles totaled 15 overall. Coker went 4-for-5 with three runs while Heili finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run. Sutton and Schmitt each had two RBI with Sutton finishing 2-for-5. 

Heath Renz (5-2) took the loss for UW-Whitewater, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, five runs and two walks while striking out six. The Warhawks finished with eight hits in the opener with Doud going 2-for-4 with two runs and Wary finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI. 

UW-Whitewater took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first. Doud's two-out single scored Aldridge. The Warhawks made it 2-0 in the third on an RBI double from Aldridge knocking in Bryden who had doubled to the start the inning. Wary's RBI double and Bryden's sacrifice fly in the fourth gave UW-Whitewater a 4-0 lead.

Each team scored a run in the sixth. Wary scored for the Warhawks as Jeff Szubert was thrown out on a steal attempt. The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with Carney coming in on Heili's RBI ground out. 

Back-to-back RBI singles from Aiello and Wary gave UW-Whitewater a 7-1 lead in the top of the seventh. A two-run home run by Aldridge and Nick Santoro RBI single in the eighth made it 10-1 and Bryden's solo home run in the ninth finished the scoring. 

James Witt (3-1) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing nine hits, five runs (four earned) and one walk while striking out two. The Eagles had six hits in the game as Carney finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. 

Sam Heilenbach (4-1) earned the win for UW-Whitewater, going 7.0 innings, allowing five hits, one run and one walk with six strikeouts. Eight of nine starters had a hit for the Warhawks with six players recording at least two. Aldridge went 4-for-5 with three RBI, three doubles, two runs and one home run. His three doubles tied a WIAC single-game record. Wary finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs.

UWL returns to action Sunday, May 13 hosting UW-Whitewater in a doubleheader at noon.