By Patrick Coleman
D3sports.com
EASTLAKE, Ohio — The UW-Whitewater pitching staff was doing its job. Through seven innings, the Warhawks had allowed just two runs.
The Whitewater bats, however, were sleeping on the job.
And pitching coach Peyton Schneider was glad to let them know it.
“We're just trying to put our best together to get our pitching run support,” said Whitewater third baseman Danny Hopper. And our pitching coach, Coach Schneider, he said, ‘Our pitchers have done our job today, and it's time for you guys to do your job.’ ”
The pitching coach was giving the hitters a pep talk?
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“It was not nice at all,” said Warhawk coach John Vodenlich. “It was a very healthy competitive piece there.
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| UW-Whitewater does its jump celebration after every Warhawks homer, and on Monday, it was freshman catcher Aaron Holland who provided the opportunity. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com | More photos from this game coming at d3photography.com |
“He's on board. He understands it's hard to score runs and throw strikes. But at the same time, this is a team effort. You can't just pitch. You got to be able to pitch, you’ve got to play D, and you’ve got to be offensively productive.”
So it might have taken a few innings, but eventually the Warhawk bats came around on Monday night and helped Whitewater win the Bracket 2 final, defeating Salve Regina 5-2. The win puts UWW into the Division III Championship Series with Misericordia, which also came out of the loser’s bracket, beating Lynchburg twice on Monday.
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Aaron Holland hit a home run to right-center to lead off the eighth, the Warhawks (44-10) strung three singles together to scored another, and Eli Frank beat out an infield single in the ninth to drive in another run as Whitewater did what it has done for almost the entire series – score runs late.
Jack Hagen came back on exactly zero days’ rest and went six strong innings, allowing two runs and striking out two.
Salve Regina (40-10) similarly turned to a player on short rest. Kyle Carozza, who earned a tough save on Friday, faced three batters in the Monday afternoon loss to UW-Whitewater, and was given the ball in the nightcap.
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Carozza had gone as long as four innings, a game against Washington & Jefferson where he closed out the game and the regionals with a long save. And he gutted out five innings on Monday night, allowing just one earned run.
“Kyle was awesome,” said Salve coach Eric Cirella. “He gave us a shot to win. I thought it was spectacular. I was looking for three (innings). He was fine. That's just what Kyle does.”
“I took each pitch as if it was its own thing,” Carozza said after the game. “And each time I got a strike, I'm like, all right – (on to) the next one. And then I would get the inning. I'm like, all right, let's go to the next inning.
“After the fourth inning, I started to feel it a little bit and coach told me to empty the tank. And I felt I did that pretty well.”
Hopper doubled to lead off the second for Whitewater and came around to score on a single to third base by Sam Paden. But Tyler Cannoe answered with a solo shot, a blast over the left field bleachers to tie it up.
“I think that might have been the hardest and farthest ball I've ever hit in my life,” Cannoe said. “It couldn't have come at a better time. I'm just thankful I got the chance to do it.”
The teams traded runs again in the fourth, as Hunter Yaworski’s sacrifice fly brought in Evan O’Rourke, who had singled to lead off the inning. That balanced out the top of the inning, where Cannoe missed a grounder that went through his glove and into the right field corner for two bases. Paden drove him in with a single.
Meanwhile, the Salve staff was keeping the game close, and so was catcher Brady Smolinski, who threw out three would-be basestealers, one of them on a called pickoff play that pitcher Jason Arrigo missed and delivered to the plate. Even though he wasn’t expecting the pitch, and even though it was a breaking ball, Smolinski still threw Hopper out.
“I like to say I beg for teams to run,” Smolinski said. “It's my favorite part. I love every part of the game behind the plate: calling the game, working with my pitchers, blocking and throwing guys out. But for me, the most rewarding is when I can get an out for the team. I feel like you running on me is kind of like a sense of disrespect.”
For Hagen, it was a touch of redemption, after he gave up five runs in three innings to Birmingham-Southern on Sunday.
“I just kind of came out there and didn't really change anything from yesterday, I just kind of trusted my stuff. Yesterday, I didn't. Today, I came back and trusted everything I had. I brought it with maybe a little more attitude than yesterday, which I probably was lacking. But, you know what? It made a difference and I'm pretty happy with how it went.”
Max Huseboe came on in relief for the second straight day and delivered two scoreless innings, allowing one hit. He got the win, while Logan Eisenbarth picked up the save, his third of the season and his second of the day.