After totaling two hits in a game one 6-0 loss to UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater rallied to top UW-Oshkosh 17-9 in their second game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament in Whitewater at Prucha Field at Miller Stadium.  The Warhawks, ranked among the top five in three different polls and WIAC regular season champs, are 34-6 and advance to play on Sunday at 10:00 am against the loser of a game between UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse.   With the loss, UW-Oshkosh is eliminated from the tournament and ends their season with a 23-14 record.


UW-Whitewater vs. UW-Oshkosh - 4:00 pm
The way things started in UW-Whitewater's second game on Saturday, you'd have thought they would be making an early exit from the WIAC tournament, but after rallying from an 8-0 deficit to go on to win 17-9 the Warhawks advance to day two of the event.

The Titans bolted out to an 8-0 lead after scoring five runs on four hits in the first inning and three runs on three hits in the second inning.

Justin Mortensen (Hartland/Arrowhead) came in to pitch for UW-W after the second inning and quieted the Titan bats and allowed for the Warhawks to do some damage at the plate.

And damage they did.  The Warhawks scored two in the fourth, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and five in each the seventh and eighth to score seventeen unanswered runs.

The Titans managed to score a meaningless run in the bottom of the ninth to bring the final to 17-9.

Mortensen earned the win, his first of the season, throwing seven innings, giving up no runs on three hits and striking out five.

Dylan Friend (Burlington/Burlington) sparked the Warhawk offense with a two-run homerun in the fifth and a solo shot in his next at bat in the sixth.  Friend went 5-for-6 at the plate in game two with six RBIs and four runs scored.  Jared Fon (Germantown/Germantown) collected four hits in seven at bats and scored two runs while tallying one RBI.  Michael Gonzalez (Delavan/Delavan-Darien) and Casey Power (Ontario, Canada/Belle River) each chipped in three hits and three RBIs.  Mikole Pierce (DePere/DePere) was 2-for-5 in the game with three RBIs and one runs scored and has now reached base in 34 consecutive games.

The Warhawks will play again on Sunday at 10:00 am against the loser of a game between UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse.


UW-Whitewater vs. UW-La Crosse - 10:00 am
Managing a season low two hits, UW-Whitewater fell to UW-La Crosse 6-0 in the first game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at Whitewater's Jim Miller Stadium at Prucha Field Saturday.  It is just the second time Whitewater, the WIAC champion and top seed in the tournament, has been shut out this season.

Photo Gallery (courtesy of Jenny DuPuis)

In the top of the first Alex Cordova doubled to right center and a Brooks Braga single moved him to third.  Cordova scored on a fielder's choice to give La Crosse a 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the second Whitewater loaded the bases, but did not score. 

And that was the sum of the offenses for seven innings.  La Crosse starter Tim Verthein and Whitewater's Scott Plaza (Arlington Heights, IL/Prospect) kept matching gooseeggs across the board.

That string ended in the eighth, when La Crosse tacked on three runs.  Brett Jacobson led off with his second homerun of the season.  Cole Cefalu singled in the second run, and Braga doubled in his second run of the game to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead. 

UW-L's Trevor Burmeister doubled in a run, and later scored on a Warhawk error to end the scoring at 6-0.

Scott Plaza (Arlington Heights, IL/Prospect), 6-1, suffered his first loss of the year for UW-W, going 7.2 innings.  He allowed seven hits, four earned runs, walked none and struck out four.  Brock Liston (Darien, IL/Joliet Catholic) finished up for the Warhawks.  Verthein, 4-6, went the distance for UW-L, giving up two walks and fanning seven.

Whitewater's previous season low in hits was six.  That came versus Illinois Wesleyan March 16, Southern Maine March 27, UW-Stevens Point April 13, and UW-Oshkosh April 17.  Illinois Wesleyan blanked the Warhawks March 16.

UW-Whitewater, 33-6 and ranked in the top five in all three national Division III polls, will play the Oshkosh-Stevens Point loser at 4:00 Saturday.  La Crosse, 19-19, will play the Oshkosh-Point winner at 7:00.