Mother Nature and small ball combined to put the UW-Whitewater into another hole in the 2024 NCAA Division III World Series at Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday.
Misericordia (Pennsylvania) University (42-9) scored five runs in each of the second and fourth innings and went on to defeat the Warhawks 12-9 in the first game of the best-of-three World Series.
Both teams had to work around depleted pitching staffs after playing five games in four days to start the World Series. Matt Lanzendorfer was the hero for the Cougars, pitching the final 4 1/3 innings and allowing just one Warhawks run.
Lanzendorfer, a senior left-hander, made 19 appearances this season with 18 in relief. He threw 76 pitches Monday in a start against Lynchburg University and added 66 Tuesday.
The first game of the best-of-three championship series was scheduled originally for Wednesday after a day off Tuesday. But the weather forecast for the Cleveland area is for rain throughout the afternoon and evening Wednesday, and officials moved the game to Tuesday.
Having to use little-used pitchers proved to be the downfall of the Warhawks (42-10), who fell behind 10-2 after four innings.
“It wasn’t our decision,” said UW-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich about the revised schedule. “We did the best we could with the arms we had.”
The Warhawks used six pitchers in the loss. Sava Dupor, who had pitched just nine innings in six appearances coming into the game, was the most effective. The redshirt freshman, who last pitched May 5, went 3 1/3 innings and allowed two runs.
“He’s a competitor,” Vodenlich said. “He hasn’t got as many innings of any of us would like, but he did a good job.”
Junior Max Huseboe, who had pitched effectively in three World Series games, got the start for the Warhawks. Huseboe had worked 7 2/3 innings in three appearances in the first four days of the World Series and had allowed just seven hits and one run.
The Warhawks gave Huseboe a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After the first two batters were retired, Eli Frank walked and went to second on a wild pitch.
Adam Cootway, who missed seven weeks early in the season with a broken wrist, hit his fifth homer of the season to provide the Warhawks the first punch. The Warhawks designated hitter was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored in the game.
But in an indication of what was to come, The Cougars answered with a left hook in the second inning scoring five runs and knocked out Huseboe, who was charged with four runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Vodenlich said the coaching staff hoped Huseboe could go three innings to begin a “bullpen game.”
“We were hoping for a little more than he gave us,” Vodenlich said. “(Misericordia) made an adjustment early, and we had to go to the pen earlier than expected.”
‘Small ball’ effective
Misericordia plays “small ball” in contrast to the Warhawks’ power game. The Cougars used five singles and two steals to score their five second-inning runs.
The scratch-and-score tactics continued in the fourth for the Cougars, who led Division III baseball with 60 sacrifice bunts and were second in stolen bases with 155 in 52 games.
The Cougars strung together four singles—including one on a bunt—two sacrifices and three walks to build their eight-run advantage at 10-2.
Warhawks narrow deficit
The Warhawks rallied with their trademark power game scoring six runs in the fifth. Frank homered after Matt Scolan walked to narrow the deficit to 10-4.
Cootway doubled and scored on Andy Thies’ single. Paden followed with a single. With runners on first and third, Dominick McVay struck out but reached first when the pitch got past the Cougars catcher. Thies scored from third and Paden advanced to third.
Bennett Frazer fouled out down the third base line, but Paden was able to beat the throw home. Adam Holland drove in the final run of the inning with a double down the leftfield line.
The Cougars added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Warhawks countered with a run in the top of the eighth when Frank doubled, and Cootway singled him in with two outs. Frank finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI.
The Warhawks went down 1-2-3 in the ninth in a game that featured 28 hits, 16 by Misericordia.
Now the Warhawks will have to defeat Misericordia twice Thursday. They’ve already accomplished that feat twice this postseason, first beating UW-La Crosse twice in one day to win their super regional and then beating Salve Regina twice Monday to advance from their World Series pod.
“At the end of the day, we have to make some adjustments moving forward,” Vodenlich said.
MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY 12, UW-WHITEWATER 9UW-Whitewater 200 060 010 —9 12 2
Misericordia 050 500 11X —12 16 2
Leading hitters—Cootway (UWW) 3x5, Frank (UWW) 2x3, Paden (UWW) 2x4; Bollinger (MU) 3x4, Bunn (MU) 3x4, McIlhenney (MU) 2x5, Regenye (MU 2x5, Sanfilippo (MU) 2x4, Van Horn (MU) 2x4, Bunn (MU) 2x3. 2B—Holland (UWW), Frank (UWW), Cootway (UWW); Bollinger (MU) 2. HR—Frank (UWW), Cootway (UWW).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)—UWW: Huseboe, L, 1 2/3-5-4-4-0-0, Hansen, 1/3-2-1-1-0-0, Kottmeyer, 1 2/3-3-5-5-2-1, Dupor, 3 1/3-5-2-2-1-2, Eisenbarth, 2/3-1-0-0-2-1, Koenig, 1/3-0-0-0-0-0. MU: Calvarese, 1-1-2-2-3-1, McCurry, 3 1/3-7-5-5-2-1, Paduck, 1/3-0-1-0-0-1, Lanzendorfer, 4 1/3-4-1-0-1-3.
NCAA DIVISION III WORLD SERIESAt Eastlake, Ohio
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(Best-of-3)
RESULT TUESDAY
Game 1: Misericordia University 12, UW-Whitewater 9
GAME(S) THURSDAY
Championship Series, Game 2, 10 a.m.
Championship Series, Game 3 (if necessary), 45 minutes after Game 2
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