BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[cubs]

Rough day for Platteville... Not only did they drop a game to lowly Eau Claire, but watched as Stout "stole" one from Whitewater as well.

Sweeps by Platteville and Whitewater tomorrow would leave both Stout and Platteville at 12-12 with four games left to play in the race for the #4 seed. Platteville travels to Whitewater to end the WIAC regular season while Stout hosts UWO.

[badgerwarhawk]

Rough day for Platteville... Not only did they drop a game to lowly Eau Claire, but watched as Stout "stole" one from Whitewater as well.

Sweeps by Platteville and Whitewater tomorrow would leave both Stout and Platteville at 12-12 with four games left to play in the race for the #4 seed. Platteville travels to Whitewater to end the WIAC regular season while Stout hosts UWO.

The two teams split their season series so that tie breaker is out.  Stout has the win against us so if we were to sweep Platteville Stout would have the four seed regardless of what happens with Platteville/Oshkosh. Should both be tied after this weekend the four seed will go to Platteville by virtue of their win over LaCrosse.

The WARHAWKS (31-3,21-3) finished the weekend series sweeping Stout (14-22,12-12) but neither win came easy.  C.Hansen (7-1) allowed just a single hit and recorded 13 strikeouts over 7 innings to pick up the win in game one.  Hagen relieved him but struggled allowing 3 runs on a pair of hits and 3 walks.  Failing to finish the inning Koenig (S1) relieved him and finished the last 1.1 innings with a couple walks and a strikeout. Hopper and Thies led the offense with 3 hits apiece while Scolon and Cootway had a pair of hits. Scolon, Frank, Cootway, Thies and Paden all had a rbi.

Stout took a 3-0 lead after 3 innings in game two but the WARHAWKS responded with 3 doubles and a home run to regain the lead in the fourth 4-3. Stout tied the game 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the inning. However the WARHAWKS plated 4 runs in the fifth and then added another in the seventh for what appeared to be a comfortable 8-4 lead.  But the Blue Devils weren't finished adding a run in the 8th, another in the 9th and loading the bases with one out before the WARHAWKS Brady Malkow retired the side.  Lee started allowing 4 runs on 8 hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout. He was relieved by Wickman (2-0) who got the win going 3.1 innings while surrendering a run on 2 hits with a walk and a strikeout.  Malkow finished the final 0.2 innings allowing a run on 3 hits and striking out 2. Scolon led the offense with 3 hits including record breaking career  home run #48 and a solo rbi.  Frank had a home run and double for 4 rbi and Thies also had a pair of hits including a home run finishing with 2 rbi. Cootway added an rbi.

[cubs]

Rough day for Platteville... Not only did they drop a game to lowly Eau Claire, but watched as Stout "stole" one from Whitewater as well.

Sweeps by Platteville and Whitewater tomorrow would leave both Stout and Platteville at 12-12 with four games left to play in the race for the #4 seed. Platteville travels to Whitewater to end the WIAC regular season while Stout hosts UWO.

The two teams split their season series so that tie breaker is out.  Stout has the win against us so if we were to sweep Platteville Stout would have the four seed regardless of what happens with Platteville/Oshkosh. Should both be tied after this weekend the four seed will go to Platteville by virtue of their win over La Crosse.

Couple of updates going into the last WIAC series of the season....

1. A 2-2 series by Whitewater against Platteville locks up the #1 seed for the Warhawks as they have the tiebreaker with La Crosse.

2. A 1-3 series by La Crosse against Stevens Point locks up the #2 seed for the Eagles as they have the tiebreaker with UWO.

3. A 1-3 series by UWO against Stout locks up the #3 seed for the Titans as they already have the tiebreaker with Platteville.

4.  Platteville will need to win at least one game over Whitewater and then hope Stout loses at least three out of four to UWO to earn the #4 seed.  Platteville controls their own destiny in the chase for the #4 seed, though an 0-4 series against Whitewater gives the final spot to Stout.

As far as the bolded, not exactly....  Should both go 0-4 this weekend, they finish tied at 12-16.  Stout would get  the #4 spot thanks to their victory over Whitewater on Saturday.

[badgerwarhawk]

My bad, thanks for the correction

[cubs]

Stout and Platteville both get swept today, so they'll enter the final day of the regular season tied for the #4 spot in the WIAC Tournament with two games to go.

Platteville had leads in both of their games against Whitewater, but dropped a pair of one run decisions, which included the nightcap in extra innings.

Stout dropped a one run game as well in the nightcap after UWO cruised to victory in the opener.

Whitewater clinched the #1 seed with their DH sweep today and La Crosse clinched the #2 seed with their sweep of Stevens Point. UWO clinched the #3 seed with their sweep of Stout.

Eau Claire picked up their second WIAC win of the season with a split against River Falls today.

[badgerwarhawk]

The WARHAWKS (33-3,23-3) clinched the conference's regular season championship by defeating Platteville  (17-18,12-14) in a pair of one run games.  On the back of a three run home run the Pioneers took a early 3-0 lead in game one.  But the WARHAWKS responded with a combined four runs over the next two innings scoring what would be the winning run on a wild pitch.  Hagen (4-1) started and after a shaky couple of innings settled in allowing 6 hits, 3 runs and striking out 7 in 5 innings for the win. Wickman and Eisenbarth (S,2) surrendered just a pair of hits and struck out 4 over the final 4 scoreless innings.  Scolon finished 3x3 with a double while Thies, Paden and McVey had rbi.

Game two was another nailbiter.  The WARHAWKS took an early 1-0 lead but the Pioneers matched that plus a pair and led 3-1 after their half of the third inning. Scolon and Cootway both hit rbi doubles in the bottom of the inning tying the game at 3-3. A Jackson rbi single in the fourth put the WARHAWKS in the lead 4-3 where the score remained until the 8th when the Pioneers tied it with a solo home run.  The WARHAWKS loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth but Pioneer pitching escaped the threat by coaxing three straight fly outs.  However they weren't as fortunate in the 10th when with the bases loaded Paden drew a five pitch walk off base on balls. Huseboe started allowing 6 hits, 4 runs with a pair of walks and 7 Ks in an 8 inning outing.  G.Hansen relieved him striking out the side in his inning and Malkow (2-0) picked up the win surrendering a single hit and walk with a strikeout in his inning.  Holland (3x5), Thies (2x4) and Spring (2x4) had multiple hits while Scolon, Cootway, Paden, Jackson and Spring all had a rbi.

Two one run wins. One on a wild pitch and the other on a walk off base on balls.  Sometimes better lucky than good.

Two more with the Pioneers today and then Ripon on Tuesday before the conference tournament starts Thursday.

[cubs]

Looks like both Platteville and Stout are on their way to losing the opener today, so it all comes down to one game...

It doesn't matter what Stout does against UWO in their WIAC finale. If Platteville beats Whitewater in the final game of the series, they earn the #4 seed. If the Pioneers lose, Stout earns the final spot in the WIAC Tournament.

Ironically, Platteville jumped out to another 3-0 lead today, however Whitewater scored in each of the first six innings today and won going away.

[cubs]

Platteville gets a great great start from Stanton (8 innings/1 unearned run) and get just enough offense to defeat Whitewater in the nightcap 3-1to punch their ticket to the WIAC Tournament.

[badgerwarhawk]

Platteville got some excellent pitching and made a bunch of solid plays with their gloves preventing us from getting anything going. They played like they were playing for their season.  Meidenbau's rbi double and 2 run home run gave them all the offense they needed.

[cubs]

Just some general observations with the conclusion of the WIAC regular season over the weekend...

-Whitewater and La Crosse both appear to be in decent position to host a 4-Team Regional this season.  The interesting part will be if they are grouped together for a Super Regional or paired with someone else.

-UWO will likely earn an at-large berth, but I can't help but look at their resume and feel underwhelmed?  Sure, they went 20-8 in the WIAC, but that included a 1-7 record against Whitewater/La Crosse and a 19-1 record against the rest  of the WIAC, who all finished with a losing record both in league play and overall.

-I give a lot of credit to Platteville!  They started out slow, but stayed the course and played three really competitive games over the weekend against Whitewater, finally pulling out a victory in the series finale.

-I feel like Stout has some pieces, but is lacking in the depth department.  Losing Lendosky for the season to a torn labrum obviously was a blow, and I'd argue with him, they probably pull out the #4 seed over Platteville.

-How quickly things can change in a matter of just three years!  Stevens Point goes from a 5th Place World Series finish to not even qualifying for the WIAC Tournament and a 6th Place WIAC finish.

[cubs]

Platteville knocks off WIAC Regular Season Champion and #1 seed Whitewater in thecopening game of the WIAC Tournament 6-3 this afternoon. Platteville outfit the Warhawks 14-7 on the afternoon.

This result means that one of Whitewater, La Crosse or UWO is guaranteed to go "two & BBQ" in the WIAC Tournament this weekend.

It will be interesting to see how that affects that respective team's NPI number? Could it cost Whitewater or La Crosse the chance at hosting a Regional?

[cubs]

Would guess we'll see Brinkman vs Osterhaus this afternoon in the final game of the opening round of the WIAC Tournament.

[cubs]

Platteville knocks off WIAC Regular Season Champion and #1 seed Whitewater in thecopening game of the WIAC Tournament 6-3 this afternoon. Platteville outfit the Warhawks 14-7 on the afternoon.

This result means that one of Whitewater, La Crosse or UWO is guaranteed to go "two & BBQ" in the WIAC Tournament this weekend.

It will be interesting to see how that affects that respective team's NPI number? Could it cost Whitewater or La Crosse the chance at hosting a Regional?

UWO scores 4 in the 7th and 10 in the 8th to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 15-4 mercy rule victory.

Whitewater and La Crosse will square off tomorrow in an elimination game, though I'd guess the loser still earns a Regional berth.

[cubs]

Whitewater scores more runs in the 1st inning today (4) than they did all game against Platteville yesterday (3) en route to chasing starting pitcher Isaiah Katz and taking an early 4-2 lead against La Crosse.

[cubs]

Whitewater gets a 2-run HR in the bottom of the 6th inning to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead, and that margin holds up in an elimination game victory.

The Warhawks move on to play the loser of Platteville vs UWO at 4:00 this afternoon.