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Pointers Power to Within One Game of WIAC
Title
UW-Stevens Point powered its way past one of the
nation�s top teams on Friday, belting eight home runs in a doubleheader
sweep of top-ranked UW-Whitewater to move within one victory of the
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball title.
The ninth-ranked Pointers had two homers in a 10-0
opening game win and slugged six long balls in a 21-8 victory in the
nightcap. Both games were shortened to seven innings because of the 10-run
rule. It was the first time UW-Whitewater has lost two games on the same day
since its last trip to Stevens Point on April 9, 2003.
UW-Stevens Point, which now has an NCAA Division
III-leading 75 home runs for the season, improved to 32-6 overall and 19-3
in the WIAC. UW-Whitewater had a 15-game winning streak snapped in the
opener and fell to 34-4 overall and 18-4 in the league. The Pointers need
one victory in Saturday�s doubleheader for their fourth league title in
seven years and the top seed in next weekend�s WIAC tournament.
UW-Whitewater needs two wins for its third straight crown. Saturday�s games
begin at noon.
UW-Stevens Point�s J.C. Reinke threw his second
straight shutout and the team�s fourth in five games, limiting the nation�s
top hitting team to just two hits and posting seven strikeouts. Reinke had a
no-hitter until two outs in the fifth inning and the Warhawks, who entered
the game with a .394 team batting average, never threatened until leaving
two runners on in the seventh.
The Warhawks held back unbeaten starters Kevin
Tomasiewicz and Greg Reinhard and the Pointers scored five runs in the
second inning of Andrew Keller. Steve Wiczek homered to lead off the inning
before Nat Richter, Joel Hojnacki, Tim Schlosser and Ryan Jones all added
run-scoring hits.
Richter started another five-run inning in the
sixth with a leadoff home run and Jones, Wiczek and Chuck Brehm all had
consecutive run-scoring hits. Hojnacki finished the game three-for-three and
Jones was three-for-four.
The Pointers scored eight runs in the second
inning of the second game off Warhawks� starter Gregg Riek as Hojnacki hit a
two-run homer and Brehm hit his fourth grand slam of the year after an
intentional walk to Wiczek loaded the bases. It was the Pointers� eighth
grand slam of the season.
Wiczek crushed a three-run homer in the third and
Brehm followed with a solo homer. Jones hit a three-run blast in the fourth
and Matt Polomis had a three-run homer in the sixth. Brehm finished
four-for-five with five RBI�s and Wiczek was three-for-three as eight
different players recorded at least two hits. UW-Whitewater�s Aaron
Guilbault had a two-run single in the third and finished two-for-two.
Pointers� starter Jordan Zimmermann lasted four
innings and struck out five to earn the win since the game went seven
innings. |
