WHITEWATER – The No. 1/3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team picked up its 15th straight victory Saturday before seeing the streak halted in the second half of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against UW-La Crosse at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (17-2 overall, 7-1 WIAC) took the opener by a 7-5 score before the Eagles (11-6, 4-3) claimed Game 2 by a 6-3 score.
The loss was UW-Whitewater's first in regular season conference play since April 27 of last season. The setback also snapped the team's 16-game home win streak.
The Warhawks were outhit 11-7 in the first game, but UW-Whitewater pitchers stranded 11 UW-La Crosse base runners and induced three ground ball double plays in the contest.
Junior pitcher Curtis Morgan improved to 4-0 with the win. The right-hander allowed just one earned run while striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Senior catcher Mike Mierow, senior centerfielder Kyle Haen and freshman Kevin White tallied two hits apiece for the Warhawks.
Six different players knocked in runs for UW-Whitewater, which extended its consecutive scoreless inning streak to 28 innings before the Eagles plated one in the top of the fourth inning.
Morgan stranded the bases loaded in the fourth, ending the frame with a strikeout and a fly ball, to limit UW-La Crosse to a 1-0 lead.
The Warhawks crossed the plate five times in the bottom of the fifth. Mierow, Haen and White knocked three straight singles to start the inning as White's base hit tied the game. After a groundout by freshman Will Helbing gave UW-Whitewater the lead, the team added three more runs on bases-loaded walks. Senior shortstop Mikole Pierce, senior third baseman Adam Gregory and Mierow were credited with RBIs.
After double plays ended the Eagles' sixth and seventh innings, the Warhawks added a key insurance run in the bottom of the seventh as Pierce scored on an error to make it 6-1.
The Eagles added one in the eighth, but UW-Whitewater got it back in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by sophomore designated hitter Steve Chamberlain.
UW-La Crosse rallied with two outs in the ninth, plating three runs before sophomore RHP Mike Nompleggi induced a fielder's choice ground ball to end the game.
In the nightcap, the Eagles broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh with a three-run homer.
The Warhawks brought the potential game-tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but fell just short in their comeback attempt.
Chamberlain and Gregory led UW-Whitewater with two hits apiece. Chamberlain, Pierce and Haen each knocked in a run.
Senior LHP Colin Grove took his first loss of the season, scattering seven hits through 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. Senior right-hander Andrew Lowe didn't allow an earned run over the final 2 1/3.
The two teams resume play in the four-game set Sunday at noon with a doubleheader at Miller Stadium.