Hawks take two from UW-Oshkosh

The UW-Whitewater baseball team used solid pithing to won both ends of the double hitter with Oshkosh 2-1, 8-5 Wednesday afternoon at Jim Miller Stadium.

As the score would suggest game one was a pitcher's duel. Jeff Donovan (2-0)(see adjacent photo) started for the Whitewater and got the win going seven innings, giving up the only Oshkosh run on three hits with four strikeouts. Riley Tincher relieved Donovan pitching a scoreless eighth inning and Ben Versnik picked up his fourth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.

UW-Whitewater scored a single run in the first when Donovan singled, advanced to second on a wild pick off attempt and then advanced to third and scored on a pair of wild pitches. The Hawks scored their second run in the second inning on a Dan Putnam RBI single. Oshkosh's only run came in the seventh on a pair of doubles. Ryan Leavitt, Donovan, Putnam and Rick Rechlitz had the Warhawks four hits in the game.

In game-two Oshkosh took the early lead with a run in the third inning. Whitewater took the lead in the sixth on three hits and a Titan error. Oshkosh tied the game with a pair of runs in the seventh highlighted by a home run from Troy Mrvicka. The Warhawks answered back with a big inning scoring five runs in the seventh on four hits and a couple of errors by the Titans. Oshkosh threatened in the eighth scoring a pair of runs and leaving the bases loaded.

Aaron Lietner started for Whitewater giving up one run on four hits, a walk and a strikeout. Kyle Lee relieved him but pitched to just a single hitter giving up the home run by Mrkvicka. Riley Tincher (8-0) who recorded the three outs in the seventh and was credited with the win. Jason Hooper relieved Tincher and Ben Versnik retired the final four hitters in order to record his second save of the day and fifth of the season.

Putnam, Rob Coe, Jordan Stine and Mike Kenseth had two hits apiece for UW-W in a twelve hit attack. Derek Layton had two hits to lead Titan batters.

UW-Whitewater is 24-2 overall and 13-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Warhawks have won six in a row. UW-Oshkosh is 12-16, and 5-9 in league play.