|
Pointers Drop Two
Tight Games to Warhawks
Just one strike away from victory in the opening
game, UW-Stevens Point fell victim to a dramatic UW-Whitewater rally and the
Warhawks carried the momentum into the second game to sweep a baseball
doubleheader on Tuesday at University Field.
The Pointers appeared to have the first game in
hand, but the Warhawks� Jeff Donovan belted a two-run homer to right field
on a 1-2 pitch to put his team ahead 5-4. UW-Stevens Point put a runner on
base in the bottom of the ninth, but Mike Jacobson finished off a complete
game for the Warhawks in the victory. The loss snapped the Pointers' 15-game
home winning streak, dating to a 5-0 UW-Whitewater win on May 7, 2005.
UW-Whitewater carried over its energy into the
first inning of the second game, getting the first four batters on base and
scoring three runs in an eventual 8-6 win. The loss dropped the Pointers to
11-8 overall and 5-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,
while the Warhawks are now 9-7 overall and 2-2 in the league.
UW-Whitewater held a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning
of the opener as Jacobson was cruising with a three-hitter until Adam
Evanoff hit a two-run homer for the Pointers. Justin Bushong opened the
seventh inning with a leadoff homer to the tie the game and UW-Stevens Point
took the lead when Joel Hojnacki scored on a two-out error.
Pointers� starter Brandon Hemstead worked into the
eighth inning, giving up five hits and two earned runs before giving way to
closer Matt Mehne. The senior stranded two runners in the eighth and was in
control in the ninth before Donovan�s blast.
Jacobson allowed 10 hits and struck out seven in
his nine-inning performance.
In the second game, the Warhawks led 4-1 entering
the bottom of the third inning and had chances for a bigger cushion, but
stranded two runners in each of the first three frames. The Pointers rallied
to tie the game with three runs on two hits in the third.
UW-Whitewater took the lead in the fifth when
Billy Johnson hit a two-out, run-scoring single. The Warhawks added three
more runs in the sixth with Thomas Donovan delivering a two-out, two-run
single for an 8-4 lead.
UW-Stevens Point had a chance for a big inning in
the seventh, loading the bases with none out, but Warhawks� reliever Aaron
Dott forced a groundout and two strikeouts to limit the Pointers to one run
in the frame. Ryan Byrnes hit a solo home run in the ninth for the Pointers�
final run.
Dott allowed six hits and two runs with seven
strikeouts in five and two-third innings for the win. Mike Thrun went five
and one-third innings in relief for UW-Stevens Point and took the loss. Ryan
Hopkins gave the Pointers a chance to rally by allowing just two hits and
one run over the final three and two-third innings.
Greg Harder was four-for-five for the Warhawks and
Evanoff was three-for-four for the Pointers in the second game. |
