For both UW-Whitewater AND UW-Stevens Point fans at James B. Miller Stadium it will take some time to "come down" from an incredible day of championship caliber baseball.
The day started with Whitewater needing to beat the Pointers twice to advance to the NCAA Division III World Series.
Riley Tincher pitched a complete game in game one on short rest, beating Stevens Point 9-3 to send UWW to the Midwest Region championship game.
Tincher pitched a complete game Thursday morning followed by getting the final eight outs in the Warhawks 5-4 win over St. Thomas (Minn)on Friday, ousting the defending national champions from this year's tournament.
Saturday's championship game was played at the highest level, a level worthy of a national championship game. Stevens Point jumped out a a 3-1 lead in the third inning.Mike Kenseth's two-run single down the left field line in the bottom of the fourth inning tied the game at 3-3.
The game would stay tied until the top of the ninth inning when the Pointers scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by UWSP catcher Steve Considine. The ball was bunted a couple feet in front of the plate as pinch runner Ryan Inverson broke down the third base line. Hawk catcher Rob Coe pounced quickly on the ball and had to turn quickly to make the tag on the runner. Coe stumbled as he attempted to turn to his right to make the tag. It sas a case of the ALL-WIAC catcher simply catching his spikes on the synthetic turf.
Whitewater had three more outs to try to win the game late however Stevens Point pitcher Scott Williams retired the Hawks in order in the ninth.
Stevens Point now will represent the WIAC at next week's NCAA Division III World Series at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. Coach Pat Bloom's team will take a 33 & 16 record into Friday morning's tournament-opening game.
The regional championship game was UW-Whitewater's second the past two years. The Hawks fell to Carthage College in the title game of the 2009 Central Region in Moline, Ill.
The Hawks end the season with a spectacular 42 & 7 record which ranks among the best in school history.
Much more on today's incredible drama at the Mills wil be coming up later tonight.
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