| UW-Whitewater shortstop
Mikole Pierce hit three balls hard, two of them for extra
bases. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - Mikole Pierce drove in four runs with two swings of the bat in the first two innings and UW-Whitewater cruised to an 8-1 win vs. Southern Maine in the final game of the first day of the 2014 Division III baseball World Series.
The Whitewater shortstop knocked in the first two runs of the game with a ringing triple to right-center field in the first, then lined a ball down the left-field line in the second for a two-run double. Pierce came around to score both times as the Warhawks (41-7) built a 6-0 lead in the first two innings off Southern Maine starter Logan Carman.
Carman, who was the ace of the staff in 2013 before he got hurt in the regionals, lasted just 2-1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs. He did not rejoin the Huskies’ rotation until mid-April.
Day 1 World Series wrapup |
|
|
The runs got the large Whitewater crowd at Fox Cities Stadium, announced at 2,374, into the game early.
"Offensively we’re a good baseball team," said UW-Whitewater coach John Vodenlich, "and we were able to get some production in the first inning, and I think that was key for us, scoring and letting Scott know he’s got some run support."
"It’s the postseason – everything comes down to one pitch," Pierce said. "So just focusing on one pitch right now is key, getting what I’m looking for. It’s just me being dialed in right now."
Pierce also gave a pitch a ride in the sixth inning, but Huskies right fielder Chris Bernard ran down a shot to the right field gap about 395 feet from home plate.
Meanwhile, Whitewater starter Scott Plaza was dominant, retiring 11 consecutive batters and allowing just two runners past first base in his seven innings in improving to 8-2. He gave up just three hits and walked two batters to Southern Maine (35-14), which just could not figure out the senior right-hander.
Postgame news conferences |
|
|
|
|
"He was throwing strikes," Southern Maine coach Ed Flaherty said. "He was taking us out of our comfort zone a little bit. We were chasing balls a little bit up in the zone, he tends to throw up in the zone, and we went after a few of those."
Pierce entered the World Series as the Warhawks’ leading hitter at .446, with 58 RBI in 47 games. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBI. Right fielder Michael Gonzalez, the cleanup hitter, was 2-for-3 and knocked in a pair of runs.
Southern Maine submariner Ryan Browner stopped the bleeding, entering in relief of Carman and giving up just one run in 2-2/3 innings.
Carman, who had trouble locating his fastball, didn't look as sharp as he had earlier in May. "He was coming back (from injury)," Flaherty said. "He pitched his best game in the regional final. He still hasn’t got his velocity he once had. And they swing the bat, Wisconsin Whitewater."
The Huskies scratched out an unearned run in the ninth off reliever Austin Jones as Paul McDonough reached on a throwing error and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
Whitewater plays Cortland State in the final game of the night Saturday, scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m. CT. The Red Dragons advanced into the winners bracket by defeating Salisbury 4-3. Southern Maine will face Salisbury in an elimination game at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.