Same song, different year.  After defeating UW-Stevens Point twice Saturday, the Pointers rallied to defeat UW-Whitewater twice Sunday, winning 8-1 and 11-7 at University Field in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  UW-W, ranked seventh in the D3baseball.com poll, is 13-4 overall and 6-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  UW-Stevens Point, tenth in the D3 poll, is 11-7 and 2-2 in the league.  Both teams know that the end of their regular season series doesn't mean they have faced each other for the last time this year.

game box score
UW-Stevens Point's Cody Koback and Ryan Iverson combined to hold UW-Whitewater to three hits in the 8-1 win. 

After putting goose eggs on the board for four innings, UW-SP got on the board first with two runs in the fifth on a two run single off the bat of third baseman Justin Jirschele. 

Whitewater responded in the top of the sixth with first baseman Jeff Donovan (Wauwautosa/East) doubling to lead off, advancing to second on a sacrifice by leftfielder Matt Beyer (Janesville/Parker), and coming home on a sacrifice fly by centerfielder Dylan Friend (Burlington).  That cut the deficit in half, 2-1 Point.

UW-SP added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, two of them scoring after a single by shortstop Eric Fritz.  The Pointers tacked on a single run in the seventh and two more, with the aid of two Warhawk errors, in the eighth. 

Koback, 2-1, went the first six innings to pick up the win.  Sophomore righthander Justin Lambert (Mt. Horeb/Mt. Horeb), 2-1, took the loss after going six innings.  Justin Mortensen (Hartland/Arrowhead) and Matthew Roberts (Manitowoc /Roncalli) finished up for UW-W without giving up a hit.  UW-SP rightfielder Jared Surman led both teams with a 3x5 day at the plate, with two runs scored.

game two box score
The second game was more like a tennis match, with the teams scoring in more than half of their at bats. 

Donovan and designated hitter Samuel Keller Jr. (Milwaukee/Riverside) each stroked a run scoring single in the top of the first to put UW-W in front 2-0. 

Point answered with a three spot in their first, combining four hits with a Warhawk error to manufacture three runs and a 3-2 lead.

Back to Whitewater.  In the top of the second third baseman Andrew Eichstaedt (Appleton/North) singled in the tying run and catcher Rob Coe (Appleton/North) put UW-W back in front, 4-3, with a one out sacrifice fly. 

Back to Point.  In the bottom of the second leftfielder Bryan Clark doubled, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a ground ball to knot the score at 4-4.

Point took the lead with one run the third -- and then it stayed 5-4 until the bottom of the fifth, when UW-SP put three on the board when Clark, with two outs and two men on via walks, unloaded his first home run of the season.  Point led, 8-4. 

Whitewater took that comfort zone away with two runs in the seventh.  Singles by Donovan and DH Ryan Leavitt (Merrill/Merrill) were followed by Beyer being hit by a pitch to load the bases.  With one out, pinch-hitter Jared Fon (Germantown) singled through the right side to cut the deficit in half, 8-6.

Run scoring singles, and a run producing triple by Koback (the game one pitcher) upped the Pointer lead to 11-6 heading into the ninth.

Warhawk pinch-hitter Logan Peot (Green Bay/Bayport) brought in an unearned run with a sacrifice fly to give UW-W its seventh run, the final score of the game.

Kyle Lee (Beaver Dam/Beaver Dam), 2-1 and the first off three Warhawk pitchers, took the loss.  UW-W rightfielder Daniel Putnam (Ashland /Ashland), on a .500 pace, led both teams with a 4x5 game.  Putnam also scored twice.

UW-W will be back in action Wednesday, April 13, hosting UW-Platteville for a doubleheader that will begin at 1:00 at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium on the north end of the UW-Whitewater campus.  Free parking is adjacent to the field.

For additional information:  John Vodenlich, UW-W coach