Titans Open Season With Sweep of Auggies
Pitching eight innings in two games, Kyle Kannenberg (Sr. • Oshkosh) earned a win and a save as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team opened its 2010 season with a pair of victories over Augsburg College (Minn.) on Monday (March 8) at Mall of America Field in Minneapolis, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh (2-0) won the first contest, 8-1, as Kannenberg allowed just two infield singles to record the complete-game win. A three-run fifth inning pushed the Titans to a 5-4 win in the nightcap as Kannenberg forced a bases-loaded groundout to end the game.
In the first game, UW-Oshkosh scored two runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to build the advantage over the Auggies.
The Titans grabbed an early lead when Derek Hiroskey (Jr. • Kimberly) singled and scored on a passed ball in the second inning. Lucas Wirth (Sr. • Omro) then smashed a run-scoring single to double UW-Oshkosh's advantage.
Triples from Blake Berger (Jr. • Star Prairie) and Andrew Eichstaedt (So. • Appleton) helped the Titans build a four-run cushion. Berger touched home plate on a wild pitch before Hiroskey drove in a run with a single. Augsburg College (1-3) got its lone tally in the bottom half on a Jeff Butler groundout.
In the fifth inning, Eichstaedt and Hiroskey both singled and later scored on an Augsburg College fielding error. UW-Oshkosh jumped to an 8-1 lead when Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) drilled a two-run double to left field in the sixth inning.
Kannenberg faced just 24 Augsburg College batters, three over the minimum. He also struck out two batters.
The pitching loss fell on Alex Glasenapp, who yielded four runs on six hits in three innings. Brett Cloutier followed by allowing four runs over 2.2 innings before Bryant Nordby held the Titans scoreless for the final four outs.
UW-Oshkosh got a leadoff walk from Nolan Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) to start the second game. Following a pair of groundouts, Eichstaedt doubled to give the Titans a 1-0 lead. UW-Oshkosh used a walk and single to load the bases, but couldn't increase its lead.
In the third inning, Donald Blunt blasted a three-run homer to put the Auggies ahead. His home run followed a Taylor Legeros walk and a bunt single by Tim Gerding.
Another Nolan Fadness walk started a three-run fifth inning for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh regained the lead courtesy of an Augsburg College error, a run-scoring single by Berger and a two-run double by Eichstaedt. The Titans added an insurance run on a single by Nolan Fadness in the sixth inning.
Augsburg rallied in the top of the seventh inning, as two walks and a two-out, ground-rule double by John Demgen plated a run. The Auggies left the bases loaded after a game-ending groundout.
Sean Grabig (Fr. • Howard) surrendered three runs and two hits as he pitched the first three innings for UW-Oshkosh. Luke Westphal (So. • Clintonville) then got the victory by striking out three batters over three scoreless innings. The save went to Kannenberg after he allowed one run, one hit and three walks during the final inning.
Tom Petersen started on the mound for the Auggies and allowed two runs and four hits in four-plus innings of work. Mark Heise took the loss after yielding three runs and three hits in two innings of relief.
UW-Oshkosh outhit Augsburg College, 12-2, in the first game and 7-6 in the second. Hiroskey had three hits and Eichstaedt and Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) two each in the opener. Eichstaedt tallied three hits and Tyler Kamps (Fr. • Appleton) two in the nightcap. Eichstaedt finished the doubleheader going 5-for-6 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and three runs batted in.
Gerding recorded a pair of hits in the second game to pace Augsburg College. Joe Pierce and Eric Olson also tallied two hits apiece over the course of the doubleheader.
UW-Oshkosh faces Edgewood College on Saturday (March 13) at Mall of America Field in Minneapolis, Minn.