WHITEWATER – The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team split for the second consecutive day to finish up a four-game Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series against UW-La Crosse at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (18-3 overall, 8-2 WIAC) took the first game 16-5 in seven innings due to conference run rule before dropping Game 2 by an 11-7 count.
In the opener, the Warhawks pounded out eight extra base hits, including six doubles and two homers, and tallied a combined 13 runs in the fifth and sixth innings. UW-Whitewater also drew nine walks and totaled 14 hits in the contest.
All nine spots in the lineup registered hits. Freshman centerfielder Daytona Bryden finished 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and four runs batted in. Senior third baseman Adam Gregory was 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, two runs and three RBIs, while senior catcher Mike Mierow and senior left fielder Kyle Haen added two hits apiece.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar improved to 3-0 on the year, allowing five runs (three earned) and striking out seven in six innings of work.
The Warhawks led 3-0 after three innings thanks to a two-out single by Bryden in the second, a bases-loaded walk by Haen in the third and a wild pitch later in the third.
After the Eagles (12-7, 5-4) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth, UW-Whitewater responded with a five-run bottom half of the frame. Gregory led off with a homer to left field, his first of the year, to tie the game. Three batters later, Bryden doubled home Haen and freshman second baseman Jordan Kuczynski made it 6-4 with a sacrifice fly. Senior shortstop Mikole Pierce smashed a two-out, two-run double to left center to double the lead.
In the sixth, junior designated hitter Dane Burman knocked a two-run double to center, and Bryden followed with a two-run homer, the first of his career, to give the Warhawks a 12-5 advantage. Sophomore right fielder Steve Chamberlain and Gregory added run-scoring hits in the inning, and senior catcher Mike Mierow capped the eight-run inning with an RBI groundout.
Sophomore lefty Ankur Shah pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to end the affair.
In the second game, the Warhawks led 4-1 through five innings, but UW-La Crosse's six-run sixth inning gave it the lead for good.
Freshman right-hander Heath Renz took the loss on the mound for UW-Whitewater, striking out five in five innings of work. He fell to 1-1 on the year.
Bryden led the Warhawks offensively with three hits, including a triple, two runs scored and one RBI. Senior first baseman Casey Power contributed three hits, including a two-run homer. Chamberlain and Kuczynski recorded two hits apiece, and Chamberlain and Pierce each knocked in a run.
UW-Whitewater resumes WIAC play Wednesday at UW-Oshkosh. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.