Titans, Blue Devils Receive Pitching Gems In Split
Peter Jewell had a career-high nine strikeouts in a complete-game victory as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team split a pair of games with UW-Stout on Saturday (April 9) in Menomonie.
Jewell allowed just seven hits and one walk as the Titans won the WIAC opener, 8-1, before UW-Stout took the nightcap, 4-0, behind eight scoreless innings from starting pitcher Derek Graves.
Johnny Eagan paced the UW-Oshkosh offense in the first game by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, three runs batted in, and one stolen base. Robbie Kleman added three RBIs in the opener for the Titans.
UW-Stout scored all four of its runs in the second game during a six-hit outburst during the eighth inning. The Blue Devils outhit the Titans, 14-6, in the nightcap.
The four-game series between the Titans (5-9, 1-1 WIAC) and Blue Devils (7-6, 1-1) was originally scheduled to be played at UW-Oshkosh's Tiedemann Field. The games were moved to Menomonie due to inclement weather in Oshkosh.
In the first game, the first three Titan batters reached base as Jack Paulson and Trent Whitcomb walked ahead of Eagan's run-scoring single off of UW-Stout starting pitcher Zach Carlson. Kleman added an RBI groundout that scored Whitcomb for a 2-0 Titan lead.
After Jewell retired his seventh straight Blue Devil batter to end the top of the fourth inning, the Titans loaded the bases with two outs in the home half of the frame, and Eagan drew a walk to increase the UW-Oshkosh advantage to 3-0.
The Titans extended their lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning when Eagan doubled home Paulson and Kleman delivered an RBI groundout.
UW-Stout's Noah Brown broke up Jewell's shutout with a leadoff home run in the seventh inning, but UW-Oshkosh received consecutive run-scoring doubles from Andy Brahier and Kleman in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Carlson took the loss for the Blue Devils, yielding six runs (four earned) on four hits and eight walks in six innings pitched. Drew Worth ceded two runs on four hits over the final two innings for the Blue Devils.
Paulson registered three stolen bases for the Titans, while Brown, Hunter Dicus and Tyler Kinderman each had two hits for the Blue Devils.
In the second game, Graves and UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Colan Treml were locked in a pitcher's duel until the decisive eighth inning.
Josh Halling singled to lead off the UW-Stout eighth inning and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Brown followed with a single to put Blue Devils at first and third base, and Ryan Connor doubled home Brown for the game's first run that ended Treml's outing.
Titan relief pitcher Max Keough allowed a two-run single to Dicus for a 3-0 Blue Devil lead, and Nate Sorenson plated Dicus with a two-out single to finish the scoring.
After Graves pitched around a leadoff infield single by Eagan in the eighth inning, Brett Steinwagner pitched a perfect ninth frame to secure the victory for UW-Stout.
UW-Oshkosh had its best scoring chance in the second inning. Kleman reached first base via an error to start the inning and advanced to third on Alex Koch's one-out double. Graves then recorded a strikeout and fly out to squelch the threat.
The Titans also loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning before Graves ended the frame with a strikeout.
Graves limited UW-Oshkosh to six hits in his eight innings pitched. He struck out seven against one walk.
Conner, Dicus and Tyler Nalbach each collected three hits for the Blue Devils, while Brown added two.
Treml (2-3) was charged with the loss for UW-Oshkosh after allowing three runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings pitched. He struck out five Blue Devils without issuing a walk.
Whitcomb led the Titans with two hits in four at-bats.
The Titans and Blue Devils will complete their four-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday (April 10) in Menomonie.