Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Lutheran College
baseball team upset 23rd-ranked and Northern Athletics Conference
co-leader Aurora 2-1 on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader
at a very windy Neumann Family Field. The Warriors were narrowly
edged in the nightcap, 4-3, to settle for a split with the
Spartans.
Game one saw sophomore starter Alex Raver (Bartlett,
Ill./Bartlett) and AU starter Brad Warnecke dueling through five
innings to a 0-0 tie. Aurora, which is ranked 23rd in the latest
D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 Poll, was the first to break the
shutout, scoring in the top of the sixth to take the lead. Raver
was able to strand two runners on base to limit the damage to just
one run.
Sophomore Garrick Day (Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound) responded for
WLC in the bottom of the sixth, hitting an infield single with the
bases loaded to bring home junior Tyler Schoen (Marion,
Wis./Marion) and tie the score at 1-1.
Freshman David Sell (Manawa, Wis./Manawa) pinch ran for junior
Doug Martin (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) after Martin
reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the eighth with the
game still tied 1-1. Freshman Connor Vredeveld (Waterloo,
Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) later reached on a fielder's choice with
the bases loaded to bring home Sell and give the Warriors a 2-1
advantage.
Raver shut down a two-out rally by Aurora in the ninth to seal
the win for WLC. He scattered five hits and allowed just one earned
run while striking out six for his third complete game win of the
season. Day went 4-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Warriors
offensively.
Tom Ozlanski took the loss for Aurora, giving up a run in two
and one-third innings. Josh Davidson went 2-for-4 with a run
scored, and Brett VanAsdlen drove in the lone run for Aurora after
going 1-for-3 at the dish.
In game two, WLC was the first to get on the scoreboard after
Martin doubled home freshman Brett Youngbeck (Brown Deer,
Wis./Brown Deer) to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the bottom of
the fourth.
Aurora finally got to freshman starting pitcher Ian Zahn (Fond
du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran) in the top of the sixth, coming
around to score four times.
Sophomore Cody Nevils (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton) cut the
lead in half in the bottom of the eighth, grounding out to second
to bring home freshman Korben Biersack (Greenfield,
Wis./Greenfield).
In the last of the ninth, Schoen came home after Biersack reached
on a fielder's choice to cut the lead to 4-3, but the rally would
fall short as the Warriors left the potential game-tying run on
third and the winning run at first when the game came to an
end.
Zahn took the loss for WLC, letting in two earned runs in six
and one-third innings. Senior Steve Gustafson (West Bend,
Wis./Luther Preparatory) worked two and two-thirds innings of
shutout relief. Biersack went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run
scored.
Steve Sitterly earned the win for Aurora (25-7, 12-4 NAC),
allowing just two earned runs in eight innings. Garrett Gajewski
went 1-for-4 with two RBI, while VanAsdlen and Cory Walden each
went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Wisconsin Lutheran (8-24, 6-10 NAC) remains home on Tuesday for
a non-conference doubleheader against Cardinal Stritch (17-28).
First pitch of the two seven-inning contests is scheduled for 1
p.m. at Neumann Family Field.
