Titans Begin WIAC Activity With Sweep Of Blugolds
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team had a historic home opener on the basepaths and went on to sweep a doubleheader over UW-Eau Claire to begin Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Wednesday (March 31) at Tiedemann Field.
UW-Oshkosh (4-4, 2-0 WIAC) set a new league record with six stolen bases during the first inning and matched a program mark with 10 steals overall en route to a 17-7, eight-inning victory in the conference opener. The Titans then downed the Blugolds, 5-4, in the nightcap.
The Titans' six steals in one inning are tied for fifth in NCAA Division III history. Hendrix College (Ark.) set the Division III record with 11 stolen bases in an inning in 2001. UW-Oshkosh's 10 total steals in the first game tied the program mark initially established against UW-Platteville on May 3, 1991, and ranks fourth in conference history. UW-La Crosse stole a WIAC-record 12 bases in one game in 1947.
Wednesday's doubleheader was the first meeting between UW-Eau Claire (0-8, 0-2 WIAC) and UW-Oshkosh since May 14, 1995. The Blugolds, who have lost 10 consecutive games to the Titans dating back to 1994, reinstated their baseball program this season after a 25-year hiatus.
UW-Oshkosh pounded out 24 hits on the day, including nine for extra bases, while five Titan pitchers combined to register 26 strikeouts during the team's first home games since April 27, 2019. Hunter Staniske, who scored four runs and drove in five more Wednesday, had a double and a pair of triples among his team-leading five hits for the Titans, who also received four hits from Eric Modaff and three hits each from Sean Cummins, Jarrett Scheelk and Ethan Schreier.
During the first game of the day, UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and ended the contest via the 10-run rule with a six-run eighth frame.
The Titans' four-run first inning featured two stolen bases by Scheelk and one steal each from Cummins, Modaff, Schreier and Matt Scherrman to set the WIAC record. Staniske recorded the Titans' seventh steal of the game in the fourth inning, and Schreier, who ended the game with three stolen bases, swiped second base during the sixth frame for the team's season high-tying eighth steal. After Modaff doubled with one out in the home half of the seventh inning and Schreier was hit by a pitch, the duo pulled off a double-steal of second and third bases to tie the school record with 10 stolen bases.
The Blugolds cut their deficit to 11-7 with four unanswered runs during the seventh and eighth innings, but the Titans erupted for six runs to end the game during the bottom of the eighth frame on four hits and one UW-Eau Claire error. Modaff and Griffith Lukes both plated runs ahead of Staniske, who laced a bases-loaded triple and eventually scored the walk-off run on a passed ball with one out as six straight Titans reached base during the final inning.
Staniske went 4-for-5 with a double, two triples, four runs, four RBIs and a stolen base.
Schreier was 3-for-4 with four runs and three steals while Modaff, Scheelk and Scherrman all added two of the Titans' 16 hits. Cummins hit a solo home run – his second of the year and eighth career – that provided UW-Oshkosh a 7-0 lead in the second inning.
Cameron Mulvihill (1-0) earned his first career win for the Titans after allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits in three innings of relief. He walked one and struck out a career-high seven.
Mulvihill came on in relief of UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Grant Yakimisky, who yielded three runs with a career-high eight strikeouts across the first four frames. Logan King provided a scoreless inning of relief on one hit out of the Titan bullpen.
UW-Eau Claire starting pitcher Brenton Boldt (0-1) was charged with the loss, surrendering six runs on five hits and five walks with two strikeouts in one-plus inning.
The Blugolds collected 11 hits, including three by Chase Yaeger and two apiece from David Janssen and Otto Treichel.
In Wednesday's second game, UW-Oshkosh turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead with a five-run fifth frame and held on to win behind eight strong innings from starting pitcher Scheelk and a scoreless inning from Trevor Niedzwiecki to close out the victory.
Scheelk (2-0) picked up the win, limiting the Blugolds to four runs on five hits and one walk with a season high-tying nine strikeouts. Niedzwiecki notched his first save of the year and second career after retiring UW-Eau Claire in order with two strikeouts in the ninth inning.
Six straight UW-Oshkosh batters reached base in the decisive fifth inning that included RBI singles from Connor Giusti and Modaff for a 2-1 lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, Staniske singled to drive in a run before Scheelk hit a two-run double down the left field line that plated Modaff and Lukes for what turned out to be the eventual winning runs.
UW-Eau Claire scored twice in the sixth inning and pulled within 5-4 with a run in the top of the eighth frame. However, Scheelk struck out the final batter he faced in the eighth inning, and Niedzwiecki retired the Blugolds in order during the ninth frame.
Cummins and Modaff both went 2-for-4 as the Titans outhit the Blugolds, 8-5, in the second contest.
Anthony Pogodzinski hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs for UW-Eau Claire.
Blugolds starting pitcher Charley Griffin (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
The most recent prior meeting between the Titans and Blugolds resulted in UW-Oshkosh wins by scores of 19-2 and 18-7 on May 14, 1995. The day was memorable for not only marking the last UW-Eau Claire baseball games for the next 25 years but also for UW-Oshkosh shortstop Tim Jorgensen's infamous "home run cycle" during the nightcap. Jorgensen, the 1995 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, hit a solo home run, two-run and three-run homers, and a grand slam in the second contest against the Blugolds to cap a day in which he finished with six home runs and 16 runs batted in during the two games.
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire complete their four-game regular season series with a doubleheader Friday (April 2) in Eau Claire.
Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics