Titans Enjoy Mixed Results On Opening Day
Dylan Ott drove in five runs on the day and Colan Treml pitched seven strong innings in the opener as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team split a pair of games to begin the year on Saturday (Feb. 24) in Westfield, Ind.
UW-Oshkosh (1-1) won its season opener, 9-1, over Transylvania University (Ky.) before suffering a 5-4 setback to first-time opponent Wabash College (Ind.) in the second contest. The Titans had a total of nine extra-base hits Saturday, including a triple and a home run from Ott.
Treml struck out nine and gave up one run on five hits to pick up the victory against Transylvania University. He allowed just one baserunner over the first three innings and notched a pair of strikeouts in both the fourth and fifth frames.
The Titans scored three runs in the first inning before adding four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth. UW-Oshkosh outhit Transylvania University, 12-7, and drew seven walks.
UW-Oshkosh took a 2-0 lead on a two-run double by Andy Brahier with no outs in the first inning. The Titans extended their advantage to 6-1 with a four-run eighth frame that included a sacrifice fly from Ott, a two-run double by Jack Paulson and a run-scoring triple by Sam Schwenn.
The Titans capped the scoring with Ott's two-run triple in the ninth inning.
Transylvania University (0-2) scored its lone run on a single by starting pitcher Austin Butts with no outs in the fourth inning.
UW-Oshkosh relievers Lucas Gregory and Jon Maday both pitched scoreless innings to preserve the victory.
Brahier, Ott, Paulson and Schwenn each had two hits for the Titans while Jonathan Selchow went 1-for-1 with three walks.
Isaac Taylor had two hits to pace the Pioneers, who lost to the Titans by an 8-4 score in the first meeting between the teams a year ago.
Butts was charged with the loss for Transylvania University after ceding three runs (two earned) on three hits in three innings pitched.
Four of the five pitchers deployed by the Pioneers surrendered two earned runs each.
In the second game of the day, Wabash College's Eric Chavez drove in the winning run with a one-out infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
UW-Oshkosh had the potential tying run at third base with one out in the top of the ninth frame, but Little Giants relief pitcher Zach Moffett induced a popup and a groundout to end the game.
Wabash College (2-0) scored three runs, including two unearned, in the home half of the first inning as Jackson Blevins hit a two-out RBI double, and an error by UW-Oshkosh center fielder Alex Koch allowed a second run to score on the play. Blevins then crossed the plate on a wild pitch from Titans starting pitcher Jesse Sustachek, who lasted two-thirds of an inning.
Ott launched a two-run homer in the second inning. The Titans knotted the score at 3 following a run-scoring double in the third frame before taking a 4-3 lead on Brahier's sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Wabash College answered with an RBI single from Bryce Aldridge to tie the game at 5 in the bottom of the fifth frame.
Aldridge and Matthew Annee both had two of the Little Giants' eight hits while Brahier and Koch produced two of the Titans' seven hits.
Moffett picked up the win for the Little Giants after pitching two hitless innings with one strikeout and one walk.
Wabash College starting pitcher Cody Cochran allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in 6.2 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Gregory was charged with the loss, surrendering one run on two hits and one walk in three innings pitched.
Titan relief pitchers Chris Atwood, Scott Gorsuch and Gregory combined to limit Wabash College to two earned runs and five hits over the last 7.1 innings.
UW-Oshkosh concludes its trip to Indiana with a game against Transylvania University on Sunday (Feb. 25) in Westfield.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Zuberbier