WHITEWATER – The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team completed a two-day, four-game sweep of UW-Superior Friday with consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victories at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
The Warhawks (14-1 overall, 4-0 WIAC) hung on for a 6-5 triumph in Game 1, then bested the Yellowjackets 10-0 in the second game, which was called in the seventh by run rule.
In the opener, the Warhawks took an early lead and hung on late despite rallies by the Yellowjackets (3-13) in each of the last four innings.
Junior right-hander Curtis Morgan improved to 2-0 on the season, tossing 5 1/3 innings in his third start of the season. Sophomore righty Mike Nompleggi picked up his third save of the year.
Sophomore third baseman Steve Chamberlain totaled three hits and three runs batted in to lead the UW-Whitewater offense. Senior second baseman Adam Gregory registered two hits and a run scored.
The Warhawks plated two runs in the first as Chamberlain came all the way around from first to score on a throwing error. Senior shortstop Mikole Pierce scored on a base hit back up the middle by senior first baseman Casey Power.
UW-Whitewater increased its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by senior left fielder Kyle Haen and a two-out, two-run double to the right-center field fence by Chamberlain.
After UW-Superior scored three in the top of the fifth on a home run, it threatened again in the top of the sixth. The Yellowjackets loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore left-hander Ankur Shah, who relieved Morgan, induced a 5-3 double play to end the frame.
The Warhawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Chamberlain plated Haen with a two-out single to left.
In the top of the seventh, UW-Whitewater's defense came up with two big plays. With two on and no outs, senior catcher Mike Mierow picked off the runner at second, and Shah pitched another double play to end the inning.
UW-Superior tallied once in the eighth and once in the ninth, but Nompleggi stranded the tying run at third base.
In the nightcap, UW-Whitewater pounded out 15 hits as six players finished with two or more.
Senior LHP Colin Grove improved to 4-0 on the year with a six-inning shutout of the Yellowjackets, scattering five hits in the outing. Sophomore right-hander Matt Langlie pitched a scoreless top of the seventh.
Gregory led off the bottom of the second with a triple, and was knocked home on a groundout by Mierow to put the Warhawks on the board.
One inning later, Pierce plated freshman centerfielder Daytona Bryden with a sacrifice fly, and Power singled up the middle to score Chamberlain and make the score 3-0.
Grove pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the top of the fourth, ending the frame with a strikeout to maintain UW-Whitewater's three-run advantage.
The Warhawks added five in the fifth and one in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run single by freshman designated hitter Kyle Jones in the fifth.
UW-Whitewater ended the contest in the bottom of the seventh as Pierce knocked a bases-loaded single to center field.
The Warhawks resume WIAC action Tuesday with a doubleheader at UW-Oshkosh. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.