Titans Repeat Split With Third-Ranked Warhawks
Robbie Kleman hit a three-run home run and Trent Whitcomb drove in four runs in the first contest as UW-Oshkosh split a baseball doubleheader for the second straight day at nationally ranked UW-Whitewater on Sunday (April 24).
UW-Oshkosh (12-15-1, 5-7 WIAC) scored nine unanswered runs over the final four innings to win Sunday's opening contest, 9-4, before UW-Whitewater (20-6, 8-4 WIAC) bounced back with a 1-0 victory in the nightcap behind seven strong innings from starting pitcher Curtis Morgan and two perfect frames from Austin Jones.
The Titans and Warhawks also split a pair of games on Saturday (April 23) in Whitewater. UW-Whitewater, ranked third in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, won the opener of the four-game weekend series, 7-1, while UW-Oshkosh won Saturday's second contest, 8-4.
In Sunday's first game, UW-Oshkosh erased a 4-0 deficit with three runs during each of the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. Three Titans relief pitchers combined to hold the Warhawks scoreless over the final five innings.
Daytona Bryden led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run off of UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Peter Jewell.
UW-Whitewater's two-run third inning was highlighted by a run-scoring single by Cal Aldridge and an RBI double by Steve Chamberlain.
The Warhawks then loaded the bases on a hit batter, walk and fielder's choice with one out in the fourth inning against Jewell, who was relieved by Ryan Wilkening. UW-Whitewater extended its lead to 4-0 without the aid of a hit on a run-scoring groundout from Blake Fleischman, but Wilkening escaped further damage by getting Chamberlain to ground out and end the threat.
UW-Whitewater starting pitcher Lake Bachar limited the Titans to just two hits through the first five innings before running into trouble in the sixth frame when Whitcomb and Johnny Eagan hit consecutive one-out singles. Bachar got Andy Brahier to ground out, but Kleman cracked a three-run home run – his fourth homer and 17th RBI in the last nine games – to cut the UW-Oshkosh deficit to 4-3.
The Titans loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning against Bachar on a double by Taylor Grimm, a single by Noah Polcyn and a walk by Jack Paulson. Whitcomb followed with a three-run triple down the right-field line for a 6-4 Titan advantage.
After UW-Whitewater stranded the bases loaded in the eighth inning, UW-Oshkosh tacked on three runs in the ninth frame against Warhawks relief pitchers Riley Gruetzmacher and Matt Langlie. Whitcomb laced a run-scoring double off of Gruetzmacher, while Eagan plated Whitcomb with a double against Langlie and scored on a passed ball.
Whitcomb went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple while matching his career high with four runs batted in. Eagan and Tyler Kozlowski both added two of the Titans' 13 hits.
Scott Gorsuch (2-0) earned the win in relief for UW-Oshkosh, allowing just one hit and two walks in 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Lucas Gregory pitched the final 1.1 innings in scoreless fashion on one hit with two strikeouts to notch his first save of the season and the second of his career.
Jewell did not factor in the decision after yielding four runs on seven hits over the first 3.1 innings, while Wilkening was not charged with a run in 1.2 innings of work.
Bachar (5-3) was charged with the loss for UW-Whitewater, ceding six runs on 10 hits in eight innings pitched. He walked two and struck out five.
Aldridge, Bryden, Chamberlain and Jordan Kuczynski each recorded two of UW-Whitewater's 12 hits. The Warhawks stranded 11 runners on base.
In Sunday's nightcap, UW-Whitewater's run in the first inning was all the support Morgan and Jones needed as Morgan scattered eight hits over the first seven frames before giving way to Jones.
The Warhawks, who entered the weekend leading the country with a 2.41 earned run average, recorded their third shutout of the season.
Fleischman connected for a one-out double in the bottom of the first inning off of UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Colan Treml. After Treml struck out Dane Burman for the second out, Chamberlain drove home Fleischman with a double for the game's lone run.
UW-Oshkosh collected four singles off of Morgan in the second inning but failed to score. Brahier singled to lead off the frame, but Kleman grounded into a double play. The Titans loaded the bases on consecutive hits by Kozlowski, Conner Funnell and Grimm before Morgan struck out Polcyn swinging to thwart UW-Oshkosh's first scoring chance of the game.
Treml set down 15 consecutive Warhawk batters until Jones singled with one out in the seventh inning, while UW-Oshkosh had just two runners in scoring position after the second frame.
Morgan retired the first two Titans in the fifth inning before he hit Polcyn and Whitcomb with pitches and allowed a single to Dylan Ott to load the bases. However, Morgan induced a foul out to first base off the bat of Eagan to end the inning.
Morgan improved his record to 4-0 on the season after recording three strikeouts without issuing a walk.
Jones retired all six Titans he faced, including one on a strikeout, to pick up his third save of the year.
Treml (2-5) suffered the hard-luck loss after allowing one run on four hits in a complete-game effort. He walked one and struck out four.
Brahier and Ott had a game-high two hits apiece for the Titans.
Entering the weekend, UW-Whitewater, the 2005 and 2014 national champion, had won 12 of its last 13 meetings with UW-Oshkosh since 2013.
UW-Oshkosh hosts Carroll University on Tuesday (April 26) at Tiedemann Field.
Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, UW-Whitewater Athletics