UW-Stout 14, UW-Whitewater 8 |
UW-Whitewater 13, UW-Stout 8 |
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MENOMONIE, Wis. (April 17, 2011) - UW-Stout employed five home runs that accounted for nine runs, and handed 14th-ranked UW-Whitewater a 14-8 loss this afternoon at Nelson Field. The Warhawks came back in the second game, grabbing a 13-8 victory to even the series.
Chris Lammert (Jr, Merrill) picked up his first win of the season after being thrown into the game in the middle of a jam in the seventh inning. Lammert allowed just one run to score, which was credited to starting pitcher
Cory Hedeen (Jr, Cannon Falls, Minn.), and earned the win when Stout (9-13, 4-6 WIAC) came back with a big bottom half of the inning.
Jake Duske (Jr, Montrose, Minn.) started the fireworks in the second inning, ripping a two-run shot over the left field wall, giving Stout a 3-1 lead, their first of the game. After the Warhawks (16-5, 9-3 WIAC) answered with three runs in the top of the third, Stout had a big fourth inning littered with home runs.
Chris Sill (So, Wabasha, Minn.) led off the inning with a solo shot. Duske singled two batters later and the next batter,
Brian Giebel (Sr, River Falls) drove him in with a homer to left. Two batters later, designated hitter
Greg Smolinski (Sr, Menasha) capped off the inning with a dinger.
In the seventh inning, after Lammert worked the defense out of a jam, the Blue Devils reeled off seven runs to put the game in the books. Following a Smolinski double and a Brandon O'Connell (Sr, Elk Mound) single, catcher
Matt Guida (So, Hawley, Minn.) hit the Devils' fifth home run of the game, a three-run jack to left-center off freshly inserted pitcher Eric Schmitz.
Four straight batters walked for the Blue Devils, and
Jesse Brockman (So, Eau Claire) and O'Connell cleared the bases, giving Stout an insurmountable 14-7 lead.
Only four Whitewater batters recorded hits in the game. The Warhawks' numbers 1-4 hitters accounted for all 11 hits and all eight RBI's. Also, the Blue Devils turned a double play in three straight innings to help elude some of Whitewater's offensive firepower.
In the second game, the Warhawks came out hot, scoring five runs in the top of the first. O'Connell drove in two runs in the bottom of the inning, and scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the second. O'Connell finished the day a combined 8-for-10 with eight RBI's, including four doubles, three of which came in the second game.
After falling behind in the top of the fifth, Stout's
Jon Schoch (Jr, Chippewa Falls) knotted the game at seven apiece on a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the inning. However, the Warhawkds extended their lead by three in the seventh, and added two more in the eighth to seal the split on the day.
Whitewater's starting pitcher Jeff Donovan went eight full innings, allowing seven earned runs and 12 hits, but struck out 11 Blue Devil batters. Donovan also recorded four hits on the day, a home run in each game, and five RBI's.
Carter Vogt (So, Buffalo, Minn.) pitched two shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two batters, lowering his ERA to 2.35 on the season, the pitching staff's second lowest average.
The two WIAC opponents will play another doubleheader, tomorrow, April 18th. The first game is scheduled to start at noon and will again be played at Nelson Field.
