Titans Tally 26 Runs, 27 Hits During Sweep Of Blue Devils
Taylor Grimm hit a pair of home runs and tallied nine runs batted in as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team pounded out 27 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep over UW-Stout on Sunday (April 10) in Menomonie.
UW-Oshkosh (7-9, 3-1 WIAC) collected 15 hits during a 13-7 victory over the Blue Devils (9-11, 1-3 WIAC) in the first game before the Titans launched four home runs during a 13-3, seven-inning win in the nightcap.
The Titans, who split a doubleheader with the Blue Devils on Saturday (April 9), won three of the four games in the WIAC-opening series that was originally scheduled to be played at Tiedemann Field in Oshkosh. Inclement weather forced the games to be played at UW-Stout.
Grimm, who knocked in two runs in the opener, had two home runs and seven RBIs in the second game. Johnny Eagan and Trent Whitcomb also added home runs in the second contest, giving the Titans their first four-home run game since hitting five at UW-Superior on April 20, 2013. Grimm's seven RBIs are the most by a Titan since Blake Berger knocked in eight runs at UW-Stout on April 10, 2009.
UW-Oshkosh's Jesse Sustachek took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Sunday's nightcap. Tyler Nalbach broke up Sustachek's bid for the 11th no-hitter in program history with a two-out single up the middle.
In Sunday's first game, UW-Oshkosh erased a 5-1 deficit with six runs on five hits, three walks and two Blue Devils errors in the fourth inning. The Titans increased their lead to 11-5 with a run in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh. Just seven of the 20 total runs scored in the game were earned.
UW-Stout's Josh Halling led off the game with an infield single against UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Ben Messenger. Halling advanced to second on a groundout, stole third base and came in to score the first run on a double by Noah Brown.
UW-Oshkosh knotted the score at 1 on a Whitcomb single that scored Noah Polcyn in the third inning. UW-Stout then answered with four unearned runs without the aid of a hit in the fourth frame.
After two infield errors put runners at first and third base, Nate Sorenson's squeeze bunt brought home the go-ahead run. Messenger walked the next two Blue Devils to load the bases, and all three came in to score on an outfield error.
The Titans claimed the lead for good in the home half of the fourth inning. Tyler Kozlowski walked and Robbie Kleman and Alex Koch both singled to load the bases with one out against Blue Devils starting pitcher Kellen Pearson. Kleman scored on a passed ball before Grimm delivered a two-run single and Polcyn followed with a single to score Grimm.
Pearson was relieved by Luke Eide, who walked Jack Paulson and retired Whitcomb on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and Titans at second and third base, Eagan hit a two-run single to give UW-Oshkosh a 7-5 advantage.
Eagan added a two-out, run-scoring infield single in the sixth inning, and the Titans scored two more unearned runs in the seventh when Kleman crossed the plate on a passed ball and Paulson recorded a run-scoring single.
UW-Stout trimmed UW-Oshkosh's lead to 11-7 with two unearned runs in the eighth inning, but the Titans tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame. Dylan Ott had a pinch-hit, run-scoring double and an RBI groundout by Conner Funnell completed the scoring.
Polcyn led the Titans with three hits. Andy Brahier, Eagan, Kleman and Paulson each chipped in two hits.
Messenger (2-1) was credited with the win for UW-Oshkosh, surrendering seven runs (one earned) on six hits in 7.1 innings pitched. He walked four and struck out six.
Pearson was charged with the loss for the Blue Devils, yielding six runs (three earned) one eight hits and one walk in 3.1 innings pitched.
Eide gave up five runs (one earned) in three innings of work, while Wyatt Ernstmeyer, UW-Stout's third pitcher of the contest, allowed two runs in 1.1 innings.
In the second game, UW-Oshkosh scored in all but one inning and cruised to victory. The Titans tallied three runs in both the first and third innings, one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and four in the sixth.
Whitcomb and Eagan hit back-to-back home runs with no outs in the first inning off of Blue Devils starting pitcher Patrick Gullickson. After Paulson singled, Whitcomb hit his homer to right field and Eagan followed with a blast to left field.
Brahier doubled home Eagan and Grimm started his big game with a two-run single to extend the UW-Oshkosh lead to 6-0 in the third inning.
Grimm hit a two-run home run to left field in the fifth inning and gave the Titans a 13-0 lead with a three-run home run down the left field line in the sixth frame.
UW-Stout loaded the bases with one out against Sustachek in the seventh inning. Blue Devils pinch hitter Alex Tauer broke up Sustachek's shutout with a run-scoring fielder's choice. An error on the play allowed another UW-Stout run to score.
Halling then hit an RBI double to score Tauer and end Sustachek's outing. Matt Sabel relieved Sustachek and retired the only batter he faced to secure the victory by virtue of the 10-run rule.
Sustachek (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits in 6.2 innings pitched. He walked three and struck out three.
Gullickson took the loss for the Blue Devils after giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks in four innings pitched.
Blue Devils relief pitcher Drew Worth ceded two runs in one inning pitched, while Jacob Frederick yielded four runs (three earned) in one inning of work.
UW-Oshkosh travels to Ripon College for a non-conference game on Wednesday (April 13).