You could excuse UW-Oshkosh for groggily reaching for a pencil
and lineup card to catch the license plate of the truck that ran
them over in Whitewater's 19-2 seven inning game one
win Sunday at Tiedemann Field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
UW-W scored more runs in that game than the two teams combined for
in both halves of a doubleheader Saturday (14). The
Warhawks completed the sweep of the doubleheader, and split of the
weekend series, with a more "pedestrian" win in game two, 6-4.
game one box score
The game harkened back to the "good old days" (last year) before bat regulations took distance and miles per hour away from everything that came off the bat. The nineteen runs ties Whitewater's season high, previously accomplished in a 19-4 win over Ripon College in Whitewater March 31. And the nineteen is the most UW-Oshkosh has given up since UW-W scored twenty-two (22-6) in a win at Whitewater almost exactly one year ago, April 28, 2010.
The Warhawks got a drag racer's start, peeling off the line to an 8-0 lead in the top of the first. Cleanup hitter Jeff Donovan (Wauwautosa/East) did just that, cleaning up two runs with a double. Samuel Keller Jr (Milwaukee/Riverside), right behind Donovan in the order, doubled in two more. Jared Fon (Germantown) singled in Donovan, and after a Dylan Friend single, Travis Wessels (Tomah/Tomah) hit his first home run of the season.
Donovan, UW-W's leader in home runs and runs batted in, led off the second with his fourth home run of the season to put Whitewater up 9-0.
The Titans scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second.
With two outs in the third, Warhawk leadoff hitter Daniel Putnam (Ashland /Ashland) (.596 on base percentage entering the game) and Andrew Eichstaedt (Appleton/North) walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch, and moved up one more, Putnam scoring on a Titan throwing error. Rob Coe (Appleton/North) singled and Eichstaedt advanced all the way from second on another throwing error. Whitewater led 11-1.
Whitewater added two more in the fifth. An inning opening single by Friend was followed by a Wessels double. Putnam pushed a run across with a ground ball, and two batters later Wessels scored on the third Titan error of the day to make the UW-W lead 13-1.
A two run home run by Matt Beyer and a run producing single from Wessels made it 16-1 after six.
Coe led off the seventh with his second home run of the season. Beyer's infield single and the Titans' fourth error of the day also accounted for tallies, putting UW-W in front 19-1.
Oshkosh scored its final run in the bottom of the seventh, not enough to avoid a run differential decision.
Fon and Friend led the Warhawk attack with three hits apiece, Friend's first three hit game of the season and the second for Fon. Donovan's three runs batted in gave him eight multi-RBI games this year, and Beyer's notched three RBI's for the second time in 2011. The four home runs in the game is the most by UW-W this year; in fact, the Warhawks did not have any games with more than one home run and had not hit a home run in the last five games.
Senior left-hander Riley Tincher (Oregon/Oregon) basked in his offensive support, giving up seven hits and one earned run to up his record to 7-2. Sophomore right-hander Andrew Murphy, 4-2, did not record an out in the start and took the loss for Oshkosh.
game two box score
Eichstaedt opened game two with a one out single, stole second base and advanced to third when the throw was wide. Coe's ground ball put Whitewater up 1-0.
Donovan, UW-W's starting pitcher, doubled to lead off the fourth and, with one out, Wessels singled to put runners at the corners. Friend continued his big day, plating both with a double to give Whitewater a 3-0 lead.
With Donovan sailing through five innings, giving up just four singles, UW-O finally struck in the sixth. Kyle Van Abel walked, and Derek Hiroskey singled. Derek Layton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Back to back singles by Zachary Whalen and Sean Grabig cut the Whitewater lead to 3-2.
Brett Young opened the Whitewater seventh with his first home run of the season. Putnam reached on an error, and Eichstaedt singled and an Oshkosh throwing error allowed Putnam to score Whitewater's fifth run.
Oshkosh came right back in their half of the seventh. Nolan Fadness walked and moved to second on a Tyler Kamps single. Van Abel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Eric Schmitz came on to pitch for UW-W, allowed one run to score on a Alex Mullendore single, then retired three straight with no more damage and Whitewater still in front 5-3.
As in yesterday's second game, there was more to come. Oshkosh racheted up the pressure another notch with a run in the eighth. Grabig led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Fadness sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 heading into the ninth.
UW-W combined a one out Eichstaedt double and a Coe RBI single to provide a little more breathing room with a 6-4 advantage going into the bottom of the ninth.
Coe swtiched his catching gear for a spot on the mound, gave up a walk and a single, but kept the Titans off the board.
Donovan, 8-0, remains unbeaten on the mound. He gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out six in his six innings. Coe earned the Warhawks fourth save of the year, and his first. Eichstaedt went 3-5 to lead UW-W batters. Junior righthander Phil Schreiber went the distance for Oshkosh to see his record dip to 3-5. Grabig was 3-4 for the Titans.
UW-Whitewater will be in action Tuesday, May 3 at 1:00, hosting tenth ranked College of Saint Scholastica at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium on the north end of the UW-W campus. The twin bill begins a string of four straight home doubleheaders to end the regular season for UW-Whitewater.
For additional information: John Vodenich, UW-W coach
UW-W, 25-7 overall and 15-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference, is ranked ninth in Division III. UW-Oshkosh,
22-10 overall, and 11-9 in the WIAC, is ranked fourteenth.
UW-Oshkosh won 4-1 and 5-4 Saturday.
game one box score
The game harkened back to the "good old days" (last year) before bat regulations took distance and miles per hour away from everything that came off the bat. The nineteen runs ties Whitewater's season high, previously accomplished in a 19-4 win over Ripon College in Whitewater March 31. And the nineteen is the most UW-Oshkosh has given up since UW-W scored twenty-two (22-6) in a win at Whitewater almost exactly one year ago, April 28, 2010.
The Warhawks got a drag racer's start, peeling off the line to an 8-0 lead in the top of the first. Cleanup hitter Jeff Donovan (Wauwautosa/East) did just that, cleaning up two runs with a double. Samuel Keller Jr (Milwaukee/Riverside), right behind Donovan in the order, doubled in two more. Jared Fon (Germantown) singled in Donovan, and after a Dylan Friend single, Travis Wessels (Tomah/Tomah) hit his first home run of the season.
Donovan, UW-W's leader in home runs and runs batted in, led off the second with his fourth home run of the season to put Whitewater up 9-0.
The Titans scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second.
With two outs in the third, Warhawk leadoff hitter Daniel Putnam (Ashland /Ashland) (.596 on base percentage entering the game) and Andrew Eichstaedt (Appleton/North) walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch, and moved up one more, Putnam scoring on a Titan throwing error. Rob Coe (Appleton/North) singled and Eichstaedt advanced all the way from second on another throwing error. Whitewater led 11-1.
Whitewater added two more in the fifth. An inning opening single by Friend was followed by a Wessels double. Putnam pushed a run across with a ground ball, and two batters later Wessels scored on the third Titan error of the day to make the UW-W lead 13-1.
A two run home run by Matt Beyer and a run producing single from Wessels made it 16-1 after six.
Coe led off the seventh with his second home run of the season. Beyer's infield single and the Titans' fourth error of the day also accounted for tallies, putting UW-W in front 19-1.
Oshkosh scored its final run in the bottom of the seventh, not enough to avoid a run differential decision.
Fon and Friend led the Warhawk attack with three hits apiece, Friend's first three hit game of the season and the second for Fon. Donovan's three runs batted in gave him eight multi-RBI games this year, and Beyer's notched three RBI's for the second time in 2011. The four home runs in the game is the most by UW-W this year; in fact, the Warhawks did not have any games with more than one home run and had not hit a home run in the last five games.
Senior left-hander Riley Tincher (Oregon/Oregon) basked in his offensive support, giving up seven hits and one earned run to up his record to 7-2. Sophomore right-hander Andrew Murphy, 4-2, did not record an out in the start and took the loss for Oshkosh.
game two box score
Eichstaedt opened game two with a one out single, stole second base and advanced to third when the throw was wide. Coe's ground ball put Whitewater up 1-0.
Donovan, UW-W's starting pitcher, doubled to lead off the fourth and, with one out, Wessels singled to put runners at the corners. Friend continued his big day, plating both with a double to give Whitewater a 3-0 lead.
With Donovan sailing through five innings, giving up just four singles, UW-O finally struck in the sixth. Kyle Van Abel walked, and Derek Hiroskey singled. Derek Layton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Back to back singles by Zachary Whalen and Sean Grabig cut the Whitewater lead to 3-2.
Brett Young opened the Whitewater seventh with his first home run of the season. Putnam reached on an error, and Eichstaedt singled and an Oshkosh throwing error allowed Putnam to score Whitewater's fifth run.
Oshkosh came right back in their half of the seventh. Nolan Fadness walked and moved to second on a Tyler Kamps single. Van Abel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Eric Schmitz came on to pitch for UW-W, allowed one run to score on a Alex Mullendore single, then retired three straight with no more damage and Whitewater still in front 5-3.
As in yesterday's second game, there was more to come. Oshkosh racheted up the pressure another notch with a run in the eighth. Grabig led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Fadness sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 heading into the ninth.
UW-W combined a one out Eichstaedt double and a Coe RBI single to provide a little more breathing room with a 6-4 advantage going into the bottom of the ninth.
Coe swtiched his catching gear for a spot on the mound, gave up a walk and a single, but kept the Titans off the board.
Donovan, 8-0, remains unbeaten on the mound. He gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out six in his six innings. Coe earned the Warhawks fourth save of the year, and his first. Eichstaedt went 3-5 to lead UW-W batters. Junior righthander Phil Schreiber went the distance for Oshkosh to see his record dip to 3-5. Grabig was 3-4 for the Titans.
UW-Whitewater will be in action Tuesday, May 3 at 1:00, hosting tenth ranked College of Saint Scholastica at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium on the north end of the UW-W campus. The twin bill begins a string of four straight home doubleheaders to end the regular season for UW-Whitewater.
For additional information: John Vodenich, UW-W coach