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UW-Whitewater staves off elimination at NCAA Division III World Series, reaches title round

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Bennett Frazer was still in grade school when UW-Whitewater reached the NCAA Division III World Series in 2016, the Warhawks’ last appearance before this season.

After transferring to Whitewater from UW-Green Bay in 2022, Frazer quickly learned of the lofty expectations embraced by the coaches and players.

“When we come in in September and we start our fall season, that is what we’re working for,” the junior shortstop from Oconto said Monday night after the Warhawks reached the championship round of the World Series for the first time since 2014. “We have the tradition. It’s been a little bit since we last got here, but this is what we work for day in and day out.”

Third-seeded Whitewater swept two games from second-seeded Salve Regina – 7-4 and 5-2 – Monday in Eastlake, Ohio, to advance to the championship round.

The Warhawks (44-10) open a best-of-three series at 6 p.m. (Central) Tuesday against No. 5 Misericordia (42-10) of Pennsylvania.

Game 2 is set for 10 a.m. Thursday. Game 3 (if necessary) is set to be played 45 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.

Whitewater, which won the WIAC regular-season and tournament titles, entered Monday needing to beat Salve Regina twice to keep its season alive.

John Vodenlich’s players took the field knowing two things: They had suffered a 2-0 loss to Salve Regina in a second-round game on Saturday, but had swept 10 doubleheaders during this season.

“We’re very proud of that,” said Vodenlich, who led the Warhawks to national titles in 2005 and 2014. “I think our schedule…is grueling. I think it makes a big difference. We’re used to this.”

The Warhawks swept Salve Regina in large part because they were able to put together quality at-bats in the late innings.

Designated hitter Adam Cootway and rightfielder Sam Paden had run-scoring singles in the Warhawks’ two-run eighth inning in the 7-4 victory in Game 1.

Freshman catcher Aaron Holland hit a solo homer and third baseman Danny Hopper added an RBI single in a two-run eighth in the 5-2 victory in Game 2. First baseman Eli Frank added an insurance run in the ninth with an infield single.

Those late-inning hits came one day after the Warhawks scored a combined six runs in the final three innings to stun tournament Cinderella Birmingham-Southern, 11-10, in an elimination game.

“All of the late-inning runs come from our mental toughness,” said Paden, whose solo homer on the first pitch in the ninth gave Whitewater the dramatic victory over Birmingham-Southern. “I think our regular-season schedule helps us with that.”

Sophomore reliever Logan Eisenbarth and freshman starter Jack Hagen have displayed similar mental toughness so far in the tournament.

Eisenbarth entered the World Series with zero saves.

He has two saves and one victory in three appearances in the tournament.

Eisenbarth has pitched 3 1/3 innings and has allowed no runs and just one hit. He struck out the first two batters he faced in the ninth inning of the 5-2 victory over Salve Regina but then walked one batter and hit another to bring the tying run to the plate.

Eisenbarth ended the drama by inducing a fly ball to center.

“We feel really good about the depth of our pitching staff,” Vodenlich said.

Hagen gave up five runs and six hits in just three innings of work Sunday in the victory over Birmingham-Southern.

Vodenlich turned to Hagen to start in the second game Monday against Salve Regina and Hagen allowed just two runs and five hits over six innings.

“I wasn’t able to perform as well as I wanted to for these guys,” Hagen said of his first start. “I knew I had an opportunity.

“You don’t get to start back-to-back days very often. I knew I had to bring it a little more. I was happy I was able to get it done for the guys and keep us in the game.”

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