Mike Lewis, seen here at bat in the UMAC tournament against Martin Luther, keyed a four-run inning against Whitewater with a 3-run home run in St. Scholastica's losing efforts.
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Three home runs by Wis.-Whitewater led the Warhawks to a 7-4 win over St. Scholastica in the opening game for each team at the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday afternoon in Oshkosh, Wis.
Whitewater (36-8) opened the scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first off Saints starting pitcher Peter Burg (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) then increased their lead when Kevin Zalnis led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to left field.
St. Scholastica (32-5) battled back to take the lead with a four run sixth capped by a three-run home run over the left field wall by senior catcher Mike Lewis (Esko, Minn./Esko HS). Steve Gerten (West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) had led the inning off with a single and scored when the next batter, UMAC Player of the Year Sean Claugherty (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS), laced a double to left.
After Steve Kraushaar (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) singled, Lewis poked his fourth home run of the season over the tall wall in left to give Burg his first lead of the game.
The one-run margin lasted just a little longer than an inning, though, as Zalnis struck again. This time the junior third baseman sent a ball over the right field fence for a three-run home run to allow the Warhawks to wrest the lead back.
Whitewater starting pitcher Aaron Dott gave way to Gregg Reik with two down in the sixth which proved to be an effective switch for the Warhawks as Reik held the Saints hitless over the final two and one-third innings to seal the win.
Burg (10-1) took the loss for the Saints, his first of the year, allowing five earned runs on 12 hits and two walks through eight innings on the mound, striking out five Warhawks.
Claugherty, fresh off a UMAC Tournament MVP series, was 3-for-3 in the game for the Saints scoring once and knocking in one run.
Six other Saints had one hit apiece in the loss which sends the Saints into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament where on Thursday at 10 a.m. they'll face Knox (Ill.) College (15-24) who were routed by top seed St. Thomas by a 15-1 score in the opening game of the Regional.
Whitewater will take on the winner of Wednesday's late game between Carthage (Wis.) College and Wis.-Oshkosh with a 4 p.m. game on Thursday.
