UWW completes Sunday sweep over UW-Oshkosh

What a difference a day makes in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Just 24 hours after dropping two games to rival UW-Oshkosh, the Warhawks bounced back by sweeping the Titans Sunday afternoon 19-2 in the first game and a 6-4 nailbiter in the nightcap.

Former Titan, Andrew Eichstaedt opened game two with a one out single, stole second base and advanced to third when the throw was wide. Rob Coe's ground ball put Whitewater up 1-0.

Jeff Donovan doubled to lead off the fourth. Travis Wessels singled with one out to put runners at the corners. Dylan Friend followed with a two RBI double to give Whitewater a 3-0 lead.

With Donovan sailing through five innings, giving up just four singles, UW-O finally struck in the sixth. Kyle Van Abel walked, and Derek Hiroskey singled. Derek Layton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Back to back singles by Zachary Whalen and Sean Grabig cut the Whitewater lead to 3-2.

Brett Young, the Aussie, opened the Whitewater seventh with his first home run of the season. Putnam reached on an error, and Eichstaedt singled and an Oshkosh throwing error allowed Putnam to score Whitewater's fifth run.

Oshkosh came right back in their half of the seventh. Nolan Fadness walked and moved to second on a Tyler Kamps single. Van Abel was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

UWW head coach John Vodenlich pulled Donovan and brought in Eric Schmitz to face the bases loaded situation. Although the Titans scored one run on a bases loaded single by Alex Mullendore, “Schmitty” retired the next three UWO batters to keep the Warhawks in front at 5 to 3..

Oshkosh added another run in the eighth to cut the UWW lead to 5-4 on a Nolan Fadness sacrifice fly to score Sean Grabig who had led off the inning with a triple heading into the ninth.

The Hawks put an “insurance run” on the board in the top of the ninth as Eichstaedt drilled a one out double followed by Rob Coe’s run scoring single to push the lead to 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

UW-W combined a one out Eichstaedt double and a Coe RBI single to provide a little more breathing room with a 6-4 advantage going into the bottom of the ninth.

Just a day after failing in his first career save situation, Vodenlich gave catcher Rob Coe the ball in the ninth with the game on the line.

Would it be déjà vu all over again? NO! Coe struck out pinch hitter Jake Dostalek to record the first save of his career.

(In the adjacent photo - Rob Coe (left) is greeted by Hawk first baseman Brett Young (right) moments after Coe struck out UWO pinch hitter Jake Dostalek to record the first save of his career. Young, who hails from Australia, ripped his first career home run leading off the UWW seventh inning - Tom Pattison photo)

Donovan gets the win and is now 8 & 0 on the season. The senior righthander gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out six in his six innings of mound duty.
Phil Schreiber went the distance for UWO surrendering four earned runs on nine hits. The loss drops the junior’s record to 3 & 5 on the season.

With Sunday’s two wins, UWW’s record jumps to 25 & 7 overall and 15 & 5 in the conference. The Hawks remain one game back of 1st place UW-Stevens Point who swept Sunday’s doubleheader at UW-Platteville.

Next weekend UW-Whitewater hosts UW-La Crosse for four games on Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium. UW-Stevens Point has a four-game series vs. UW-Stout at University Field in Stevens Point.

Prior to next season’s final WIAC regular season weekend UW-Whitewater will host the College of St. Scholastica (Minn) in a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon (1 pm) at Jim Miller Stadium.

Heading into the weekend, St. Scholastica was ranked No. 10 in last week’s D3baseball.com Top-25, UW-Whitewater ranked No. 9.