Titans Complete Seven-Game Season Sweep Of Lions
Jarrett Scheelk claimed the league lead in home runs and Hunter Staniske extended his hitting streak at the plate, Will Michalski tied a career high in strikeouts on the mound and the UW-Oshkosh baseball team defeated Finlandia University (Mich.), 9-3, in a nonconference game Sunday (April 25) at Tiedemann Field.
UW-Oshkosh (13-10) took the lead for good at with a six-run bottom of the third inning and went on to score nine unanswered runs for a 9-1 advantage after five frames on the way to downing Finlandia University for the seventh consecutive time this season and improving its record to 11-0 in the series since 2019.
The Titans also swept a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheaders from Finlandia University (0-24) on Friday and Saturday (April 23-24) in Oshkosh, and opened the 2021 season with two nonconference victories against the Lions in Ashwaubenon. UW-Oshkosh is alone in third in the WIAC standings with a 10-6 record after its weekend homestand while Finlandia University remained in eighth, falling to 0-16 in league play with 12 conference contests remaining.
Scheelk belted his WIAC-leading ninth home run of the year – a three-run shot to left field – that extended the UW-Oshkosh lead to 5-1 in the third inning. Scheelk's three runs batted in increased his team-leading total to 37 this season.
Staniske extended his hitting streak to 26 games on a third-inning single that provided Michalski and the Titans the only lead they would need. With the bases loaded and no outs, Staniske, batting a team-best .506 on the year, plated both Eric Modaff and Jackson Broom on a single through the left side of the infield for a 2-1 advantage. Scheelk followed Staniske's go-ahead single with his ninth homer of the year and the Titans cruised the rest of the way.
Staniske's 26-game hitting streak is the third longest in school history and ranks ninth in WIAC history. Jeff Zappa set the UW-Oshkosh record with a 29-game hitting streak in 1996. Former Titan Brad Demmin is second in program history with a hit in 27 straight games spanning the 2008 and 2009 seasons. UW-La Crosse's Taylor Kohlwey, currently a minor leaguer in the San Diego Padres organization, owns the two longest WIAC hitting streaks at 51 and 37 games.
Michalski concluded Sunday's game with 10 strikeouts to match a career high originally established during the 2020 season opener against North Park University (Ill.). Michalski improved his record to 2-2 this year, allowing two runs and scattering nine hits while issuing a pair of walks across the first eight innings as the Titan defense turned four double plays. He struck out two batters in the second, fifth, seventh and eighth innings.
UW-Oshkosh produced nine hits, including two from Ethan Schreier, an RBI double by Matt Scherrman in the fourth inning and a run-scoring triple from Modaff during the fifth frame that upped the Titan cushion to 8-1. Staniske and Schreier also recorded one stolen base apiece Sunday.
Michael Martinez and Gideon Scott both accounted for two of Finlandia University's 10 hits. Scott gave the Lions their only lead at 1-0 on a run-scoring double in the top of the second inning.
Finlandia University starting pitcher Jacob Mead (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in 2.1 innings.
UW-Oshkosh returns to WIAC play with a doubleheader at UW-Platteville on Wednesday (April 28).
Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics