Eagles, Titans Exchange Shutout Victories
UW-La Crosse's Caleb Boushley pitched a four-hit shutout in the opener and UW-Oshkosh's Colan Treml hurled a six-hit shutout during the nightcap as the Titans and Eagles split a pair of baseball games on Thursday at Tiedemann Field.
Defending WIAC champion UW-La Crosse spoiled UW-Oshkosh's home opener with a 5-0 win before the Titans responded with a 7-0 victory during the second contest.
UW-Oshkosh (12-11, 3-3 WIAC) snapped a six-game losing streak to UW-La Crosse (11-10, 1-5 WIAC), which has appeared in the NCAA Division III World Series the past two seasons.
In Thursday's second contest, Treml (3-1) did not allow a baserunner past second base on the way to tossing his second shutout of the season. Each of the Eagles' six hits off Treml were singles.
UW-Oshkosh produced 14 hits in the nightcap, including three apiece by Johnny Eagan and Tyler Kozlowski, and two each from Andy Brahier, Nate Given and Dylan Ott. Eagan has now reached base in 23 consecutive games.
Brahier, Eagan and Ott all drove in a pair of runs as the Titans held advantages of 4-0 after two innings and 5-0 entering the fifth.
After allowing consecutive one-out singles in the top of the first inning, Treml did not surrender another hit until the fifth. He concluded his outing with five strikeouts.
A run-scoring groundout by Brahier in the first inning was all Treml needed, but the Titans tacked on three runs on five hits during the second inning, a single run in the fourth frame and two more runs on four hits in the eighth.
Jack Paulson led off the UW-Oshkosh second inning with a single against UW-La Crosse starting pitcher Jameson Lavery. Paulson stole second base and advanced to third on a hit by Given. Ott then scored Paulson with a bunt single, and Given scored on Kozlowski's one-out single. With two outs and runners at first and third bases, Brahier delivered a hit that provided the Titans a 4-0 lead.
UW-Oshkosh added an insurance run on Eagan's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning before capping the scoring in the eighth on an RBI double by Ott and a run-scoring single by Eagan.
UW-La Crosse had baserunners in each of the last five innings. However, Treml picked off a runner to end the fifth inning, UW-Oshkosh catcher Taylor Grimm gunned down an Eagle attempting to steal second base during the eighth, and UW-La Crosse stranded runners at second base in both the sixth and seventh frames.
Lavery (3-2) was charged with the loss for the Eagles, yielding four runs on seven hits in two innings pitched.
In the Titans' home opener, Boushley tossed his first shutout of the season, holding UW-Oshkosh to just four hits – all singles – and recording 12 strikeouts.
The Eagles collected 13 hits, including three apiece by Nate Heili and Alex Robson. Connor Cook, Nate Roethle and Joel Zyhowski each added two hits for the Eagles as UW-La Crosse backed Boushley's pitching gem with single runs in the first and third innings and a two-run fourth frame.
Boushley, an All-America first team selection by D3baseball.com last season, tied the UW-La Crosse record with 19 career pitching victories while Eagles head coach Chris Schwarz (300-226-1 record) picked up his 300th win.
UW-La Crosse opened the scoring on a two-out, run-scoring single by Roethle in the first inning, but UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Nick McLees got out of a bases-loaded jam without further damage by notching a strikeout.
Brahier led off the UW-Oshkosh second inning with a single before Boushley retired the next three Titans, including two on strikeouts. Boushley went on to set down nine straight batters until Kozlowski reached via an error to lead off the top of the fifth inning.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead on a run-scoring single by Robson in the third inning before capping the scoring on a two-run hit from Brady Stolzman during the fourth.
McLees retired 10 of 11 UW-La Crosse batters until walking Roethle to lead off the eighth inning. However, McLees induced a double-play and another groundout to escape the frame.
UW-Oshkosh loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning, but Boushley (4-2) got a strikeout and a lineout to conclude the game.
McLees (1-2) suffered the complete-game loss, yielding five runs (four earned) on 13 hits. He struck out two and walked two in the first complete-game effort of his UW-Oshkosh career.
UW-Oshkosh hosts UW-La Crosse for another doubleheader on Friday (April 14).