Hawks fall 6-5 to UWSP for first loss in double elimination WIAC Tournament

The UW-Whitewater baseball team made early mistakes in its WIAC round-two matchup against No. 1 seed, UW-Stevens Point. The Hawks left the bases loaded after scoring just one run in the first inning.

In the third inning it appeared the UWW was going to have a “big inning” two runs in followed with a Jared Fon single with a runner on base. Instead of the Hawks having two runners on and just one out, a base running guffaw resulted in a disappointing inning-ending double play.

Point and U-Dub-Dub entered the bottom of the third tied at 3-3. Point scored three on five hits in the bottom of the third to take a 6-3 lead.

From that point on the game settled into a superb pitcher’s duel between Stevens Point ace Scott Williams and UWW’s Justin Lambert.

Brent Young cut the lead to 6-4 with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning.

In the ninth, the Warhawks attempted to put together a dramatic come from behind effort but fell just short.

Matt Beyer led off the UWW ninth inning by doubling down the right field line. Following a Dylan Friend strike out and Travis Wessels ground out to second Dan Putnam lined a double to left center to drive in Beyer and cut the deficit to 6-5.

UWSP coach Pat Bloom made a pitching change bringing lefthander Joel Delorit in to face hot-hitting short stop Andrew Eichstaedt. “Eicher” worked Delorit for a walk to put runners a 1st and 2nd with two outs and a hit away from tying the game. Rob Coe hit it hard but a great defensive play on the hard one-hopper was corralled by Delorit who threw over the first to end the game.

A win would have put the Warhawks into the championship round – instead UWW must now win three games Saturday to win the conference tournament and earn the WIAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III regional at Whitewater next week.

UWW will play UW-Oshkosh Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The winner of that game will play Stevens Point at 1 pm.

A reminder you can hear all the UWW action from Stevens Point live on KOOL 106.5. I’ll have a story later tonight that will have the URL address to listen to the audio stream of the game.

Much more will be coming up later tonight including quotes from John Vodenlich as his team gets set for its run at the postseason title.

More to come - Voice