La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team dropped a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader to top-ranked UW-Whitewater Sunday afternoon at Copeland Park in the Eagles' home finale, falling 6-4 and 10-3. UWL concludes the regular season at 24-15 overall and 14-10 in the WIAC while UW-Whitewater improves to 31-6 overall and 20-4 in the conference.
With the win in the opener, UW-Whitewater clinched the WIAC regular-season title outright after earning at least of share of the title on Saturday. 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 scored five runs on five hits in the top of the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. Daytona Bryden and Cal Aldridge each drew bases-loaded walks while Jeff Szubert had an RBI single and Alex Doud a two-run single. The Warhawks added an unearned run in the seventh. UWL committed four errors in the frame, and UW-Whitewater pushed the lead to 6-0 without recording a hit in the inning.
UWL still trailed 6-0 going to the bottom of the ninth.
Nate Heili was hit-by-pitch to open the frame and replaced by pinch-runner
Cal McClellan.
Mitch Sutton singled through the left side, advancing McClellan to second. Pinch-hitter
Cal Tully singled to left, loading the bases.
Brennan Schmitt followed with a walk to score McClellan to put the Eagles on the board at 6-1.
Brady Stolzman's sacrifice fly scored Sutton to make it 6-2.
Luke Schmitt walked to load the bases again.
Carson Youngquist came on to pinch hit, and was hit-by-pitch, scoring Tully to make it 6-3.
After a UW-Whitewater pitching change,
Zach Carney singled to left, driving in
Brennan Schmitt, and it was 6-4 with the bases loaded and one out. The rally fell short as
Shane Coker grounded into a double play to end the game.
Connor Cook (3-6) took the loss for UWL, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits over 7.0 innings. He struck out seven and walked four. UWL scattered six base hits in the game. Heili had a hit, walked, and was hit-by-pitch.
Austin Jones (7-2) earned the win for UW-Whitewater in 7.0 shutout innings. He gave up three hits, while walking two and striking out six. Michael Kaska got the final two outs to pick up his first save of the year. Doud went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and run scored.
In the nightcap, Mike Aiello's grand slam highlighted four hits in the first inning for UW-Whitewater, helping put the Warhawks ahead 5-0 after one-half inning. UW-Whitewater went ahead 6-0 in the top of the second on Nick Schrader's RBI single.
UWL got on the board in the bottom of the third.
Luke Schmitt led off the inning with an infield single, followed by a
Nate Roethle single to right.
Zach Carney's sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position and after a foul out,
Nate Heili singled down the right field line driving in Schmitt and Roethle to make it 6-2.
The Eagles threatened in the bottom of the seventh.
Brennan Schmitt walked, followed by an infield single from Youngquist. A wild pitch moved up the runners, and UWL loaded the bases after
Shane Coker walked.
Jack Dwyer hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing in Schmitt to make it 6-3. Roethle grounded into a double play to end the threat.
UW-Whitewater broke the game open in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs on two hits to make it 10-3. Szubert had an RBI double and Brett Krause a run-scoring single for the Warhawks.
Alex Schulte (1-1) took the loss for UWL, giving up five runs on four hits in 0.2 of an inning. He walked one and struck out one.
Zach Pronschinske went 6.2 innings in relief, giving up four runs on six hits, striking out four and walking five.
Heili,
Brennan Schmitt, Youngquist, and
Luke Schmitt had two hits each for UWL. Heili drove in a pair of runs while Dwyer added a RBI.
Michael Kaska (9-1) earned the win for UW-Whitewater, giving up two runs on six hits over 5.0 innings. He struck out one and walked one. Five Warhawks had two hits each with three adding at least two RBI. Aiello's four RBI came on the grand slam in the first inning.
