Chamberlain’s Slam Helps No. 3 UW-Whitewater Split

The No. 1/3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team split a pair of games at UW-Stevens Point in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader Sunday to finish 2-2 in the four-game series.

 

The Warhawks (23-5 overall, 10-2 WIAC) were defeated in the opener by a 6-3 score before posting a late comeback in a 10-7 triumph in the second game.

 

In the nightcap, senior second baseman Steve Chamberlain clobbered a two-out, go-ahead grand slam in the top of the eighth inning, and senior right-hander Mike Nompleggi tossed 3 2/3 innings of shutout baseball with five strikeouts to pick up the win and move to 3-0 on the year.

 

UW-Whitewater struck quickly with two runs in each of the first three innings.

 

Chamberlain started the production for the Warhawks in the first, posting an RBI base hit down the right field line. Junior designated hitter Will Helbing hit a sacrifice fly with two strikes one batter later to give the team a 2-0 advantage.

 

UW-Whitewater executed a first-and-third double steal to open scoring in the second as sophomore third baseman Cal Aldridge stole second and allowed sophomore right fielder Kevin White to score from third. One batter later junior centerfielder Daytona Bryden drove a base hit down the right field line to plate Aldridge.

 

After the Pointers (15-13, 7-5) scored twice in the bottom of the second, the Warhawks got the runs back in the top of the third. Senior shortstop Jordan Kuczynski drove a run-scoring single up the middle, and Helbing later came around to score on a ground ball by White.

 

UW-Stevens Point took the lead with a five-run sixth inning before Chamberlain's big fly put UW-Whitewater ahead for good.

 

In Game 1, the Warhawks led 3-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, when the Pointers tallied four runs to take the lead for good.

 

Junior first baseman Blake Fleischman finished 4-for-4 at the plate to lead UW-Whitewater, which outhit UW-Stevens Point 9-8 but left 11 runners on base in the game.

 

Bryden and Aldridge each hit solo home runs, and junior left fielder Brett Krause hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth.

 

Senior pitcher Westin Wuethrich dropped to 3-1 in the loss. He totaled 10 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings of work.

 

The Warhawks return to action Wednesday with a doubleheader at St. Norbert. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. in DePere, Wis.