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Luke Gajewski drove in the Titans' lone run with a third-inning grounder.
Luke Gajewski drove in the Titans' lone run with a third-inning grounder.

Warhawks Oust Titans From WIAC Championship

Box Score

Mike Mierow drove home the eventual game-winning runs in the seventh inning to lead defending national champion UW-Whitewater to a 4-1 victory over UW-Oshkosh in an elimination game at the WIAC Baseball Championship on Saturday (May 9) at Prucha Field in Whitewater.

Mierow's two-run single gave the Warhawks a 2-1 lead with one out in the seventh frame as top-seeded UW-Whitewater (32-8) advances to play third-seeded UW-Stevens Point (30-11) for the WIAC's automatic bid to the 56-team NCAA Division III Championship. The Warhawks, who won last year's league tournament before going on to clinch the national title, are ranked third in the nation by D3baseball.com while the Pointers are 13th.

UW-Stevens Point sent UW-Whitewater to the loser's bracket with a 5-0 win in Saturday's first contest.

Luke Gajewski's run-scoring grounder gave the Titans a 1-0 advantage in the third inning, and UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Matt Sabel held the UW-Whitewater lineup in check, limiting the Warhawks to just five hits and recording four strikeouts through the first six innings.

UW-Whitewater's Daytona Bryden and Dane Burman hit consecutive one-out singles off of Sabel in the seventh inning. Bryden and pinch-runner Alex Hollenbeck pulled off a double steal of second and third bases, setting up Mierow's go-ahead hit to center field.

Warhawk starting pitcher Mike Nompleggi was lifted for Austin Finn to begin the eighth inning. UW-Oshkosh had a runner at second base with one out in the frame and runners at the corners with two outs, but Finn coaxed a fly out to end the threat.

UW-Whitewater added two insurance runs in the home half of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Steve Chamberlain and a two-out RBI single by Bryden.

Warhawks closer Andrew Lowe relieved Finn and worked a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season. UW-Oshkosh brought the potential tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth frame, but Lowe registered a strikeout and a groundout to secure the win.

Nompleggi (5-0) earned the victory for UW-Whitewater, yielding just one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings pitched.

Bryden recorded three of the Warhawks nine hits – all singles – while the Titans received hits from five different players. UW-Oshkosh's Robbie Kleman registered the game's only extra-base hit with a two-out double in the second inning.

Sabel fell to 1-1 on the year after giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven-plus innings pitched. Jacob Pohlman took the mound for the Titans after Sabel walked the leadoff batter in the eighth inning and was charged with one run on two hits in one inning of work.

UW-Oshkosh (26-17), which advanced to Saturday with an 11-4 upset win over second-seeded and 17th-ranked UW-La Crosse on Friday (May 8), concluded its run at the WIAC Baseball Championship with a program-record 96 stolen bases and its most wins since 2008.