WHITEWATER — The warmup for their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown doubleheaders this weekend didn’t go exactly as either UW-Whitewater or UW-La Crosse would have liked, but neither team can complain.
UW-Whitewater suffered its first loss of the baseball season when UW-Oshkosh won the second game of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon 6-3 to end the No. 1-ranked Warhawks’ season-opening 18-game winning streak.
The Warhawks won the first game 9-2 in the doubleheader that was originally scheduled for Wednesday.
“I’m never happy with a split,” UW-Whitewater coach John Vodenlich said. “But today, Oshkosh played better.”
The Warhawks remain in a first-place tie with UW-La Crosse. The Eagles got in their doubleheader against visiting UW-Platteville as scheduled Wednesday. La Crosse won the first game 13-3, but the Pioneers surprised their hosts in the nightcap with a 3-2 victory.
With the dual splits, both Whitewater and La Crosse enter Saturday afternoon’s doubleheader with 9-1 records in the conference. Whitewater, the No.1-ranked team in the rankings, are 18-1 overall.
La Crosse is ranked No. 8 in the poll and is 18-3 overall.
Saturday’s first game at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium is set to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday’s first game is set for a noon start.
The Warhawks did not match their season-norm of double-digit runs in either game Thursday, which was played in 40-degree temperatures.
Matt Scolan went 5-for-5 in the first game and was 6-for-10 in the doubleheader. Scolan now ranks third with a .427 batting average in the WIAC.
Senior righthander Max Husebo went 5 2/3 innings in the opener to pick up the win. Husebo is 3-0 and ranks second in the WIAC with a 1.09 ERA.
Whitewater and Oshkosh will play each other again April 23 with a doubleheader at Oshkosh.
“I’m hoping the sun will come up tomorrow, and we will reset moving into an important weekend,” Vodenlich said.
WIAC BASEBALL STANDINGS
;Conf.;;;;Overall;
;W;;L;;;;W;;L;
UW-Whitewater;9;;1;;;;18;;1;
UW-La Crosse;9;;1;;;;18;;3;
UW-Stout;6;;4;;;;8;;12;
UW-Oshkosh;5;;5;;;;14;;8;
UW-Stevens Point;5;;5;;;;10;10;
UW-Platteville;3;;7;;;;8;10;
UW-River Falls;3;;7;;;;9;12;
UW-Eau Claire;0;10;;;;6;14;
Results Wednesday
Stevens Point 12-8, Eau Claire 4-1
La Crosse 13-2, Platteville 3-3
Stout 16-8, River Falls 8-6
Results Thursday
Whitewater 9-3, Oshkosh 2-6
Games Saturday
La Crosse at Whitewater, 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Oshkosh at Eau Claire, noon (Doubleheader)
River Falls at Platteville, noon (Doubleheader)
Stout at Stevens Point, 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Games Sunday
La Crosse at Whitewater, noon (Doubleheader)
Oshkosh at Eau Claire, noon (Doubleheader)
River Falls at Platteville, noon (Doubleheader)
Stout at Stevens Point, noon (Doubleheader)
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