Titans Rally Back To Gain Split With Pointers

The UW-Oshkosh baseball team overcame a five-run deficit to win the second game and split a doubleheader at UW-Stevens Point on Sunday (April 12).

The Titans (10-12, 2-8 WIAC) hung on in the nightcap after taking an 8-7 lead with four runs in the seventh inning. The Pointers (16-5, 7-2 WIAC) won the opener, 2-1, on Ben Berber's walk-off squeeze-bunt single with one out in the 10th inning.

UW-Stevens Point, ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, won three of the four games in the weekend series after earning two victories on Saturday by scores of 8-5 and 11-6.

UW-Stevens Point's Cody Hanke ended the day 7-for-9 with two doubles, two stolen bases, two runs and three runs batted in.

In Sunday's second game, Hanke had run-scoring hits in the first and second innings as the Pointers built a 5-0 lead after two frames.

Jacob Pohlman cut UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 5-2 with a two-run single in the third inning, but Pointer Riley Spetz's single increased the UW-Stevens Point lead to 6-2 in the home half of the frame.

Noah Polcyn singled to plate two Titans with two outs in the fourth inning, and John Eagan tied the score at 6 with a two-run double in the seventh.

With runners at first and second base and one out in the top of the seventh inning, the UW-Stevens Point second baseman mishandled a grounder off the bat of Logan Reckert, allowing both baserunners to score for an 8-6 UW-Oshkosh advantage.

The Pointers got a run back in the bottom of the seventh frame, but UW-Oshkosh upped its lead to 9-7 in the eighth when Luke Gajewski came in to score on a throwing error by Spetz, the UW-Stevens Point shortstop. It was Spetz's second error and the Pointers' fifth of the game.

Hanke doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ray Greco. With the potential tying run on second base, UW-Oshkosh relief pitcher Jesse Sustacheck preserved the win by coaxing a groundball off the bat of pinch hitter Brandon Kranz to end the game.

Gaejewski and Polcyn led the Titans with two hits apiece. Eagan, Pohlman and Polcyn each had three runs batted in.

Lucas Gregory (2-1) was credited with the win after entering in the fourth frame and allowing one unearned run on three hits in 3.1 innings pitched. He struck out four batters without issuing a walk. Gregory was the third Titan pitcher of the contest, following starter Ben Messenger, who ceded five runs (four earned) in 1.2 innings, and Cooper Lang, who gave up one run in 1.1 innings.

Sustacheck picked up his first collegiate save after yielding one run on three hits and striking out one batter over the final 2.2 innings pitched.

Ryan Williams (1-1) took the loss for the Pointers after surrendering one unearned run in one inning pitched. Williams relieved UW-Stevens Point starter Cole Erickson, who was charged with seven runs (five earned) in six innings pitched.

Hanke paced the UW-Stevens Point lineup with four hits, two runs, two runs batted in, and one stolen base.

In the first game of the day, UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Peter Jewell (2-3) was the hard-luck loser after allowing just two runs (one earned) in 9.1 innings pitched. He recorded six strikeouts was victimized by an infield error and a passed ball in the 10th inning.

Greco led off the Pointer 10th by reaching on a throwing error by Titan shortstop Jack Paulson. After Greco was sacrificed to second base, Jewell struck out Pointer pinch hitter Pete Strommen, but a passed ball allowed Greco to advance to third base and Strommen to reach first. Gerber followed with a squeeze-bunt single to plate Greco with the game-winning run.

Hanke opened the scoring with a run-scoring single in the fourth innings, and Paulson tied the game at 1 with a two-out RBI-single in the sixth.

Hanke ended the contest 3-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base. Spetz added two of the Pointers' six hits.

UW-Oshkosh recorded 10 hits but left 10 runners on base. Reckert had a team-high three hits while Andy Brahier and Tyler Kozlowski added two hits apiece.

Alex Thompson (1-0) was credited with the win after pitching a scoreless 10th inning.

UW-Stevens Point starting pitcher Mitch Beau didn't factor in the decision after matching Jewell through nine innings. Beau yielded one unearned run on nine hits. He registered six strikeouts, walked one and lowered his season earned run average to 0.24.

UW-Oshkosh returns home to play a doubleheader against UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (April 15) at Tiedemann Field.