The No. 3 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team put together two complete performances Tuesday afternoon to defeat Illinois Tech in back-to-back contests in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Cougar Stadium in Chicago, Ill.
The Warhawks (17-3 overall, 9-1 WIAC) shut out the Scarlet Hawks 7-0 in the opener before taking the nightcap by a 7-1 score.
In Game 1, senior Austin Jones tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only five hits and no walks while striking out seven to improve to 4-0 on the season. Freshman Matt O'Sullivan and senior Ryan Makuski each pitched one scoreless inning of relief.
UW-Whitewater, which left 10 runners on base in the contest, broke open a tight game with three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth. Senior centerfielder Daytona Bryden and junior shortstop Nick Schrader each collected two hits, one run scored and one run batted in to lead the offense. Senior catcher Mike Aiello posted two hits and one run scored, and junior third baseman Cal Aldridge plated three runs.
The Warhawks got on the board in the in the third inning, when junior second baseman McCauley Cox scored the first of his two runs in the game on a balk.
Bryden doubled home a run with two outs in the seventh and, two batters later, Aldridge knocked a two-run, ground-rule double to score two more.
After Bryden threw out a runner trying to advance to second on a base hit to end the bottom of the seventh, UW-Whitewater's lead grew to seven in the top of the eighth. Junior outfielder Matt Wary scored on an error, Schrader walked home a run with the bases loaded and Aldridge knocked a sacrifice fly to right.
In the second game, both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning, when senior designated hitter Blake Fleischman walked and came around to score on an error. Sophomore right fielder Alex Doud scored on another error, and Aiello knocked a two-out base hit up the middle to make it 3-0.
After Illinois Tech (9-14, 1-7) got one run back in the bottom of the frame, the Warhawks struck for three in the top of the fifth. Aldridge plated Bryden on an infield single, Doud recorded a run-scoring hit and Wary hit a sacrifice fly to left.
UW-Whitewater tacked on one more in the sixth on a fielder's choice by Aldridge.
Junior Michael Kaska allowed one unearned run and scattered six hits over five innings to push his record to 5-1 on the year. Junior Sam Heilenbach, Makuski and sophomore Riley Gruetzmacher combined to finish the game, combining for six strikeouts over the last four innings.
Doud totaled three hits in the affair, and Aldridge added two hits.
The Warhawks return to action next week Thursday, April 25, as they host No. 16 UW-Oshkosh for a doubleheader at Miller Stadium starting at 1 p.m.