Box Score Box Score
Whitewater Regional Web Site

WHITEWATER, Wis. – The St. Scholastica baseball team jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday in what would have been the first game of the NCAA Regional Tournament Championship, but the Saints did not see a second game as the Warhawks scored six unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh to go on and win the regional title 6-3.

Both teams went with their aces as Matt Lewis (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) toed the rubber after going 12 innings on Wednesday and Riley Tincher went for Whitewater after already making two regional appearances on Wednesday and Thursday.

The first three innings went scoreless and in the top of the fourth the Saints put a run on the board on a Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) RBI double that would score Kyle Flagstad (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS). Peterson would be left stranded at third in the inning.

Matt Lewis (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) kept dealing, not allowing a hit in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. CSS added to its lead in the top of the sixth when Kyle Moody (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS )'s double plated Flagstad and Jake Casareto (International Falls, Minn./Falls HS)'s double plated Moody to make it 3-0 Saints lead. That chased Tincher out of the game.

Lewis' command started to fade in the sixth as Jeff Donovan drove in a run with a double and then Lewis walked in a run to make it 3-2. He would be replaced by David Barningham (Bayfield, Wis./Washburn HS), who got out of the jam and kept it a 3-2 game.

However, in the seventh Whitewater tied it up with no outs after a CSS error and then Brent Young hit a three-run home run with one out to give the Warhawks their first lead at 6-3.

CSS's best chance to rally came in the eighth when they could have had runners at second and third with one out, but the trail runner was thrown out at second. The Warhawks would advance to the NCAA Division III World Series next week with a 6-3 victory. This is the second time in four years Whitewater has eliminated the Saints in the regional championship game.

Lewis was a warrior and did all he could on two days rest, allowing just four hits and striking out three in 5.2 innings in his final collegiate game. Lewis was named to the regional all-tournament team for his efforts. Barningham received the loss for CSS. Justin Lambert earned the win in relief for the Warhawks.

The Saints had 10 hits in the loss led by Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS), who was 3-for-4. Peterson was also named to regional all-tournament team.

The Saints finish with a 37-7 record, while Warhawks move on with a 36-11 mark. The Saints say goodbye to 13 seniors who have left their mark on the CSS baseball program. For future CSS baseball news, keep checking csssaints.com.