Titans Overwhelm Red Hawks

Andy Brahier and Taylor Grimm both drove in four runs and Johnny Eagan collected four hits as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team defeated Ripon College, 13-3, in seven innings on Wednesday (April 13) in Ripon.

UW-Oshkosh (8-9) outhit Ripon College (3-16), 17-2, en route to its third consecutive game with 13 runs. The Titans have scored double-digit runs during six of their eight wins.

Brahier went 3-for-4 with one double, Grimm hit a grand slam among his two hits and Eagan collected three doubles. Grimm has three home runs and 11 RBIs over UW-Oshkosh's last two games.

UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Adam Rude (1-0) picked up his first win of the season after allowing just two hits and recording a career-best 10 strikeouts in six innings.

The Titans erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring six runs on five hits in the second inning before erupting for seven runs on five hits in the fifth frame.

Rude, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in a win at Ripon College last season, gave up a leadoff double to Randy Finger in the first inning on Wednesday. Finger advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored the game's first run on a fly ball of the bat of Nick Schmitt.

Five consecutive Titans reached base to start the top of the second inning against Red Hawks starting pitcher Nick Henning. Alex Koch, Dylan Ott and Grimm all singled to load the bases before Noah Polcyn and Jack Paulson drew walks to give UW-Oshkosh a 2-1 lead.

Trent Whitcomb drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Eagan followed with a run-scoring double to chase Henning from the game.

Brahier greeted new Ripon College pitcher Aaron Langdon with a two-run single that plated Paulson and Eagan for a 6-1 Titan advantage.

Rude, who notched seven strikeouts through three innings, allowed a double to Nick Taranto to lead off the fifth frame. Following a fly out, Taranto was picked off at second base by Grimm, the Titan catcher, and Ripon College had just one more baserunner reach second base for the remainder of the contest.

Drew Slade relieved Langdon at the start of the fifth inning, and Polcyn greeted Slade with a single. Slade recorded two quick outs, but the next six Titans reached base, putting the game out of reach.

Eagan. Brahier and Robbie Kleman all hit doubles, which were followed by a Slade fielding error and a walk to Ott that loaded the bases ahead of Grimm's grand slam.

UW-Oshkosh's Ryan Wilkening pitched a scoreless seventh inning to end the contest by virtue of the 10-run rule.

Ott went 3-for-3 with two runs for the Titans, while Koch added two hits and two runs.

Henning (0-1) was charged with the loss in his first career start for the Red Hawks, yielding six runs on six hits and two walks in 1.1 innings pitched.

UW-Oshkosh plays Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on Friday (April 15) in Winona, Minn.