Titans Lose Twice To Nationally Ranked Warhawks
Zach Taylor and Hunter Staniske hit pivotal home runs for UW-Oshkosh late during the nightcap, but nationally ranked UW-Whitewater won on a balk with two outs in bottom of the ninth inning to complete a nonconference baseball doubleheader sweep Wednesday (March 24) in Whitewater.
UW-Whitewater (4-0), ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, won the first game of the day, 14-2 in seven innings, before walking off with a 4-3 victory in the second contest.
During the second game, UW-Oshkosh (2-2) took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning on Taylor's towering two-run homer to left field. However, the Warhawks answered Taylor's first collegiate home run with a two-out, two-run shot to left field from Ryan Norton for a 3-2 advantage in the home half of the frame.
Staniske then tied the score at 3 during the top of the ninth inning with a solo home run – his first of the season and third career – to left field, setting set the stage for UW-Whitewater's rally to win.
UW-Whitewater began the fateful bottom of the ninth inning with a flyout and a strikeout against Titans relief pitcher Harry Orth. Tucker Criswell then doubled and Matt Korman walked to precipitate a UW-Oshkosh pitching change as Jarrett Scheelk moved from left field to the mound. A passed ball advanced the Warhawk runners to second and third bases before a balk was called to end the contest.
Starting pitchers Grant Yakimisky from UW-Oshkosh and Connor Spear from UW-Whitewater were locked in a scoreless battle until the Warhawks opened the scoring on an Ian Drays run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Spear went on to limit the Titans to four hits and one walk with six strikeouts during his seven scoreless innings pitched.
The Titans stranded a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh innng, and the Warhawks left two baserunners aboard during the home half of the frame before the teams exchanged two-run homers during the eighth.
Jacob DeMeyer went 3-for-4 for UW-Whitewater while Criswell, Norton and Ryan Sturdevant each added two of the Warhawks' 11 hits.
Connor Moroder (1-0) was credited with the win for the Warhawks, retiring the only two Titans he faced during the ninth inning in relief of Nick Cairo, who yielded three runs courtesy of the homers by Taylor and Staniske in 1.1 innings pitched.
Staniske and Connor Giusti paced the Titans with two hits apiece.
Yakimisky, making his first collegiate start, did not factor in the decision after allowing one run on five hits and two walks with a career-high five strikeouts across four innings pitched.
Cameron Mulvihill, who made his Titan pitching debut, gave up two runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work. Orth (0-1) was charged with the loss, ceding one unearned run on one hit and one walk with one strikeout.
In the first game of the day, UW-Oshkosh struck first with a pair of runs during the top of the second inning on Matt Scherrman's two-out, bases-loaded single before UW-Whitewater responded with six runs of its own in the bottom of the frame. The Warhawks later tacked on eight runs during the fifth inning of the contest that was halted after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
Each of the Warhawks' last 10 runs of the opener were unearned as a result of three UW-Oshkosh errors. All of UW-Whitewater's six runs in the second inning came after two outs, including Zach Campbell's RBI single that scored DeMeyer for what proved to be the winning run.
Scherrman finished the first game 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk. Ethan Schreier also accounted for two of UW-Oshkosh's six hits.
Titans starting pitcher Trevor Niedzwiecki (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering six runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks across the first 1.2 innings.
Nick Loizzi pitched a perfect sixth inning in his first appearance as a Titan.
Campbell and Korman both drove in three runs for the Warhawks.
UW-Whitewater starting pitcher Donovan Brandl (1-0) earned the win, holding the Titans to two runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out seven.
UW-Oshkosh plays a nonconference doubleheader at UW-Stevens Point on Saturday (March 27).
Photo courtesy of UW-Whitewater Sports Information