The No. 18 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team recovered from a tightly-contested opening game loss Monday for a 9-4 victory in the second game of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at UW-La Crosse.
The Warhawks (25-8 overall, 17-3 WIAC) were topped 2-1 in the first game of the day before bouncing back with a six-run first inning on their way to earning a split of the twin bill and of the four-game series against the regionally ranked Eagles.
Junior right fielder Alex Doud totaled four of UW-Whitewater's 17 hits in the nightcap, adding one run scored and one run batted in. Sophomore designated hitter Connor Moroder smashed a three-run homer as part of the big first inning for a game-high three RBI, and junior centerfielder Noah Jensen collected three hits, one run scored and one RBI.
Senior third baseman Cal Aldridge registered two hits and scored two runs, and senior catcher Mike Aiello finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
Sophomore Matt O'Sullivan went the distance for the Warhawks, scattering 10 hits over nine innings while striking out 12.
Aiello started the scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly. After RBI singles by Doud and Jensen, Moroder belted his second homer of the season to double the UW-Whitewater advantage.
Aldridge knocked his 12th homer of the season with two outs in the second to make it 7-0. UW-La Crosse (20-12, 15-5) responded with a two-run homer in the bottom half to draw within five.
Jensen's RBI base hit through the left side made it 8-2 in the fourth. The Eagles tallied in the fourth and sixth frames to get within four runs.
Sophomore pinch hitter Cole Vento added an insurance run for the Warhawks in the top of the seventh with a solo homer.
In Game 1, UW-Whitewater was limited to six hits, and a pair of early runs provided UW-La Crosse with all the offense it would need.
Aldridged knocked in the Warhawks' lone run with a base hit to right center in the sixth inning. UW-Whitewater put the tying run on in the ninth but was unable to push it across.
Santoro and Doud recorded two hits apiece to lead the Warhawks. Senior pitcher Michael Kaska was dealt the tough-luck loss, allowing only two runs and striking out 10 over eight innings of work.
UW-Whitewater visits Ripon this Thursday for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.