WHITEWATER—The UW-Whitewater baseball team demonstrated why it is considered one of the elite NCAA Division III teams when the Warhawks defeated UW-Oshkosh twice Saturday to win the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title.
The Warhawks likely will host a NCAA Division III regional tournament next weekend after it sweated out a 6-3 win in 11 innings in Saturday’s first game and then scored 10 runs in their final three at-bats to ring up an 11-4 victory in the championship game.
UW-Whitewater, the No. 1 seed in the double-elimination WIAC Tournament, lost the first game to No. 4-seed Platteville on Thursday. Oshkosh, the No. 3 seed, registered two mercy-rule victories over No. 2-seed UW-La Crosse and then Platteville to reach the championship round while playing only 15 innings in two days.
Whitewater edged La Crosse 6-5 and then avenged Thursday’s loss with a 13-0 whitewash of the Pioneers on Friday.
“I always believed that athletics teaches us lessons about life,” Warhawks coach John Vodenlich said. “As bad as we felt Thursday, the sun came up on Friday, and we felt better.
“Our guys showed up the next day ready to go,” Vodenlich said.
Having to play 25 innings to get to Saturday’s championship round meant Vodenlich and pitching coach Tom Klawitter had to reach deep into their pitching staff for their Saturday Game 1 starter as well as the Game 2 starter if Whitewater won the first game.
Sophomore Brady Malkow had made 11 relief appearances and pitched 15 innings this season, including 2 1/3 innings Thursday in the loss to Platteville.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Brodhead High graduate wasn’t expecting to receive the text message he received Friday night.
“I was surprised, but I was ready,” Malkow said. “I know the coaches have faith in me. It was just a matter of getting in there and throwing strikes.”
Malkow pitched the first five innings and allowed three runs. The Warhawks trailed 3-1 when Malkow left, but relievers Jack Hagen (2 innings), Jackson Koenig (1), Brandon Brust (2) and Logan Eisenbarth (1) shut out the Titans the rest of the way and allowed the offense to overtake the Titans.
With the first-game win secured, the second game starter had to step forward.
George Hansen got the tap on the shoulder to take the mound for the Warhawks in the championship game. Hansen had made 13 relief appearances this season and had pitched 14 1/3 innings.
“I did not know I was going to start,” Hansen said. “I came out, and they said, ‘Hansen, you get the ball.’”
Hansen underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow 15 months ago. Saturday was the ultimate test. Hansen responded by throwing six innings of one-run ball and left after 106 pitches.
“This was my first start since my Tommy John,” the 6-foot-3 sophomore lefthander said. “I’ve come a long way. It’s a great feeling.”
“I gave them both a ball,” Vodenlich said. “Not a game ball, but a ball.”
There were other heroes for the Warhawks.
Sam Paden led the offensive comeback in the first game. After Andy Thies hit a homer to get the Warhawks within 3-2 in the seventh inning, Paden tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the ninth that scored Thies.
Oshkosh appeared in great shape to win the tournament when a walk, an error and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth. But Brust got a strikeout and a popup to short to end the threat.
In the top of the 11th, Adam Cootway, Thies and Danny Hopper singled to load the bases. Paden put the Warhawks ahead with a two-run single. Dominick McVay put the Warhawks ahead 6-3 with an RBI single.
The second game was close with the Warhawks clinging to a 1-0 lead when they came up in the bottom of the sixth. Catcher Aaron Holland, first baseman Eli Frank and designated hitter Adam Cootway each had two-RBI doubles in the inning to put the Warhawks safely ahead.
Vodenlich was all smiles as his senior-dominated team celebrated on the field.
“If you enjoy baseball, this was a great day,” Vodenlich said.
Especially if you were wearing purple.
WHITEWATER 6, OSHKOSH 3 (11)
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-Dz;020;010;000;00—3;8;1
Leading hitters—Oshkosh: Surane 2x6, Housinger 2x4; Whitewater: Holland 3x6, Cootway 2x5, Thies 4x5, Hopper 2x5, Paden 2x5, McVay 2x5. 2B—Surane (O), Housinger (O), McNamara (O), Holland (W). HR—McKellips (O), Thies (W).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)—Whitewater: Malkow 5-4-3-3-2-2, Hagen 2-2-0-0-0-1, Koenig 1-0-0-0-2-0, Brust (W, 1-0) 2-0-0-0-0-2, Eisenbart (S, 3) 1-2-0-0-0-1; Oshkosh: Jansen 9-8-3-3-2-9. Richter (L, 3-1) 1-6-3-3-0-0, Rector 1-1-0-0-0-1.
(Championship game)
UW-WHITEWATER 11, UW-OSHKOSH 4
UW-Oshkosh;000;000;202;--4;8;2
UW-Whitewater;001;006;31x;--11;14;1
Leading hitters—Oshkosh: Surane 2x5; Whitewater: Holland 4x5, Cootway 3x5, Jackson 3x3, Hopper 2x4. 2B—Taylor (O), Kirchberg (O), Holland (W) 2, Cootway (W) 2, Frank (W), Jackson (W). 3B—Schill (O), Hopper (W). HR—Holland (W), Cootway (W).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)—Oshkosh: Walters (L, 5-4) 5 1/3-7-6-5-2-3; Rector 1/3-3-1-1-0-1; Thompson 1 1/3-3-3-3-0-0; Hughes, 1-1-1-1-1-0. Whitewater: G. Hansen (W, 2-1) 6-3-1-1-6-5; Hagen (S, 2) 3-3-3-2-1-2.
WIAC TOURNAMENT
(Double-elimination)
At Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium, UW-Whitewater campus
RESULTS THURSDAY
Game 1--UW-Platteville (No. 4 seed) 6, UW-Whitewater (No. 1 seed) 3.
Game 2--UW-Oshkosh (No. 3) 15, UW-La Crosse (No. 2) 4 (8 innings)
RESULTS FRIDAY
Game 3—UW-Whitewater 6, UW-La Crosse 5 (UW-La Crosse eliminated)
Game 4--UW-Oshkosh 15, UW-Platteville 5 (7 innings)
Game 5—UW-Whitewater 13, UW-Platteville 0 (7 innings), (UW-Platteville eliminated)
RESULTS SATURDAY
Game 6—UW-Whitewater 6, UW-Oshkosh 3 (11 innings)
Game 7—UW-Whitewater 11, UW-Oshkosh 4 (UW-Oshkosh eliminated)
(UW-Whitewater receives WIAC automatic berth in NCAA Division III Tournament)
