The No. 3 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team hit eight home runs in a pair of stellar offensive performances Thursday in a two-game sweep at Illinois Tech in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader in Chicago, Ill.
The Warhawks (10-2 overall, 2-0 WIAC) bested the Scarlet Hawks 14-4 in eight innings in the first game and 10-3 in Game 2.
In the opener, the Warhawks mashed six home runs, including two by junior designated hitter Cal Aldridge, and tallied runs in each of their last five at-bats to end the game by run rule after eight innings.
Junior pitcher Michael Kaska improved to 2-1 on the season, tossing five shutout innings. He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out six in the performance.
Aldridge paced the offense with three hits, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Freshman third baseman Nick Santoro hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI, and senior centerfielder Daytona Bryden registered three hits, including a home run, three runs scored and two RBI.
Aldridge knocked home runs in the first and fourth frames to account for the team's first two runs. Santoro hit a two-run homer three batters after Aldridge to make it a 4-0 game.
Senior second baseman Jeff Szubert led off the fifth with a home run, Bryden scored on a passed ball and Santoro plated another run with a bases-loaded walk. Senior catcher Mike Aiello hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to give UW-Whitewater an 8-0 advantage.
Bryden homered with one out in the top of the sixth to make it 10-0.
The Scarlet Hawks (8-8, 0-2) got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth before Aiello plated a run with a fielder's choice, and Wary gave the Warhawks their 10-run lead back with a two-run homer.
Illinois Tech scored one in the bottom of the seventh to draw within 13-4, but UW-Whitewater gained its double-digit lead back in the top of the eighth on a first-and-third steal attempt that scored Bryden from third.
Senior pitcher Heath Renz struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth to end the contest.
The Warhawks tallied six runs in the fourth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a five-run lead and held on for their fourth straight win.
Bryden finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Senior catcher Mike Aiello posted two hits and scored two runs, Santoro knocked in two runs and sophomore right fielder Alex Doud collected two hits and scored two runs. Bryden and sophomore pinch hitter/first baseman Trevor Cho each clubbed solo home runs.
Junior Sam Heilenbach pitched three innings and earned the win, striking out four to improve to 2-0. Freshman Matt O'Sullivan, sophomore Riley Gruetzmacher and freshman Westin Muir combined for six innings of scoreless relief.
UW-Whitewater returns home Saturday to face UW-Stout in a doubleheader at Miller Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.