Titans Rack Up 23 Hits In Rout Of Vikings
Robbie Kleman finished a triple shy of a cycle and drove in three runs as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team collected 23 hits during a 16-3, seven-inning triumph over Lawrence University on Wednesday (April 20) in Appleton.
UW-Oshkosh (10-13-1) led the entire game after scoring one run in the first inning, three runs in both the second and third frames, two in the fourth and seven in the sixth.
Kleman hit an RBI double high off the left-field wall in the first inning, singled in the fifth frame and launched a towering two-run home run to left field in the sixth. The homer was Kleman's third in his last six games.
Sam Schwenn went 4-for-5 with three runs and two runs batted in for UW-Oshkosh, which also received three hits apiece from Johnny Eagan and Trent Whitcomb, and three RBIs from both Conner Funnell and Whitcomb.
Lawrence University (7-13), which was limited to six hits against five Titan pitchers, committed six errors that led to 11 unearned runs.
After allowing Kleman's run-scoring hit in the first inning, Lawrence University starting pitcher Kyle Duex retired the first two Titans in the second frame before yielding four straight singles. Funnell sparked UW-Oshkosh's two-out rally, and Jack Paulson, Whitcomb and Eagan followed with singles in the Titans' three-run outburst, which was aided by a pair of throwing errors by the Vikings.
Lawrence University cut its deficit to 4-3 with three runs in the bottom of the second inning against Titans starting pitcher Adam Rude. Travis Weber and Andrew Lauber began the frame with singles and moved to second and third base, respectively, on a throwing error by Rude. Koepplinger hit a one-out, ground-rule double – Lawrence University's only extra-base hit of the game – in the left-field corner to plate the Vikings' first run. Lauber then came in to score on a passed ball, and Brandon Klar delivered a two-out RBI single to pull Lawrence University to within one run.
UW-Oshkosh answered with three runs on two hits, two walks and one error in the top of the third inning against Vikings relief pitcher Cullen Ellis. Funnell drew a bases-loaded walk before Whitcomb laced a two-out, two run single.
Jensen Hinton and Funnell both contributed RBI singles for the Titans in the fourth inning, and UW-Oshkosh exploded for seven runs in the sixth frame on seven hits, one walk and two Vikings errors.
Schwenn had two hits in the sixth inning, including a two-run single that capped the scoring. Kleman hit his two-run homer in the sixth inning, while Eagan hit an RBI double, Funnell lifted a sacrifice fly and Schwenn scored on an error by Koepplinger, the Vikings catcher.
Matt Sabel (1-0) earned the win for the Titans. He relieved Rude to begin the third inning and tossed two scoreless innings on one hit with four strikeouts.
Lucas Gregory followed Sabel on the mound for the Titans, pitching a scoreless fifth inning, while Scotty Palmer did not allow a baserunner and struck out two in one innings pitched and Nick McLees finished the game by recording three consecutive outs in the seventh frame.
Duex (1-4) was charged with the loss for the Vikings, allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits in two innings pitched.
Koepplinger paced the Vikings with two hits.
UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Whitewater for doubleheaders on Saturday (April 23) and Sunday (April 24). The Warhawks (18-4) are ranked third in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com.