Hawks can't escape the Twilight Zone in season ending loss

Most people refer to Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton as the “home of the NCAA Division III World Series. For “Warhawk nation” it is being called the “twilight zone” on the heels of the UW-Whitewater baseball team’s strange 4-2 loss to Chapman University (California) Sunday.

How strange was the loss? Three of the four UW-Whitewater base runners were picked off by Chapman pitcher Christian Maietta. Also, a normally solid Warhawk defense committed four errors in the game.

"I can't sugarcoat it," UWW head coach John Vodenlich said following the game. "We played poorly. We had four errors. We got three guys picked off. And we got five hits.

Maietta picked shortstop Andrew Eichstaedt off second in the first inning. He got Donovan at first in the second inning and caught senior rightfielder Daniel Putnam napping at first in the fourth inning.

(In the adjacent photo the scoreboard tells the story - Tom Pattison photo)

Incredibly, following the laundry list of miscues, Whitewater was in position to win the game.

Trailing 3-0 in the seventh inning, Jeff Donovan got the Hawks back in the game on one swing. The senior drilled a two-run homer to left field to draw his team within one run.

On the mound for the final time in his Warhawk baseball career, Riley Tincher deserved a better fate. Two of the three runs allowed by the big lefthander in were unearned. The senior pitched his way out of trouble three times keep the game close.

"He was not the reason we lost today," Vodenlich said. "Again, it's four errors and three picked off players. When you play that type of baseball, sometimes you can't overcome it."

His team tried by getting the tying run to second base with one out in the 8th inning with one out. Pinch hitter Sam Keller his a rocket line drive off Maietta – but right at Chapman 1st baseman Mark Saatzer.

In the ninth inning, Donovan drew a two out walk, but was stranded on 1st base when Brent “Aussie” Young gounded to 2nd base to bring a curtain down on the season for the Warhawks.

Whitewater finishes the year with an outstanding 37-13 record.

Much more reaction and analysis will be posted Monday morning here on voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com.

CLICK HERE for UWW-Chapman box score