Titans Complete Weekend Sweep Of Lions
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team completed a four-game series sweep of Finlandia University (Mich.) with another pair of run-rule shortened victories Saturday (April 16) at Tiedemann Field.
UW-Oshkosh defeated Finlandia University by scores of 21-4 in seven innings in the opener and 11-1 in eight frames during the nightcap. The Titans, who also swept a doubleheader from Finlandia University on Friday (April 15) at Tiedemann Field, improved their record to 14-10 overall and 9-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Finlandia University (3-23, 0-16 WIAC) lost its 56th consecutive league contest and falls to 1-67 versus WIAC opponents since 2019.
UW-Oshkosh established season highs in hits and runs during Saturday's first game. The Titans' 19 hits included five doubles and a pair of home runs.
The Titans then won in walk-off fashion during the second contest as Nicholas Shiu lifted a run-scoring single for his fourth run batted in of the day. Shiu's hit secured the complete game victory for UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Logan King, who struck out a career-high 11 batters and walked one in his second start as a Titan.
UW-Oshkosh outscored the Lions, 63-12, en route to winning all four games of this season's series via the 10-run rule. The Titans have now won each of their 15 meetings with Finlandia University since the Lions joined the league as an affiliate baseball member in 2019.
The Titans had 34 hits and walked 11 times Saturday on the way to batting .462 and reaching base at a .556 clip during the four-game set against Finlandia University. UW-Oshkosh also stole 11 bases on the day and swiped 23 bags overall versus the Lions.
UW-Oshkosh's Jake Surane and Zach Taylor had a team-leading five hits Saturday. Jackson Broom, Eric Modaff, Matt Scherrman and Ethan Schreier all added four hits for the Titans, who also received three hits from Shiu, four RBIs apiece from Shiu and Schreier, and five runs scored by Taylor.
Modaff and Surane recorded five and four stolen bases, respectively, while Scherrman accounted for the Titans' other two steals.
In Saturday's opener, UW-Oshkosh scored in each of the first five innings to claim an insurmountable 21-0 lead. The Titans tallied five runs during the first inning, four in the second, three in the third, one during the fourth and eight more in the fifth.
The Titans' five-run home half of the first inning featured five hits, including an RBI double by Taylor and RBI singles from Scherrman, Broom and Schreier.
Surane launched a two-run homer in the third inning before Taylor blasted a solo shot two batters later for a 12-0 lead. Taylor's home run to left field tied Scherrman for the team lead with five longballs this season. Surane's homer was his second this year after racing around for an inside-the-parker against the Lions on Friday.
UW-Oshkosh put the game out of reach in the fifth inning as Broom along with Hunter Fredrick, Connor Giusti, Mickey McDowell, Mason Schultz and Joey Petryniec all had RBIs during the eight-run outburst.
Broom and Taylor were both 3-for-4 as the Titans' 19 hits were one better than their previous high established during an 11-7 win over Dominican University (Ill.) on Feb. 27.
UW-Oshkosh also got two hits each from Modaff, Surane, Scherrman and Schreier. Modaff scored twice and stole three bases. Surane had three runs, two RBIs and a pair of steals. Schreier and Broom drove in three runs apiece.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Will Michalski (3-0) picked up the win, allowing four runs and scattering seven hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout. Aaron Huibregtse tossed a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout for UW-Oshkosh.
Finlandia University starting pitcher Jeff Bishop (0-5) was charged with the loss after yielding nine runs (five earned) on nine hits across the first two innings.
Jacob Mead had three of the Lions' eight hits.
Finlandia University committed seven errors that led to six unearned runs during Saturday's first contest.
In the nightcap, UW-Oshkosh once again took control early, scoring four runs in the first inning and extending its lead to 6-0 following a two-run third frame.
King dominated in the longest outing of his three-year UW-Oshkosh career, limiting the Lions to seven hits en route to notching his first complete game. King, who went six innings to pick up the win during his first career start against UW-Stout on April 9, had a previous career best of four strikeouts.
King (2-0) struck out the side in the second inning and had two strikeouts during both the fifth and seventh frames. The only run King surrendered was of the unearned variety as a result of a throwing error in the fourth inning.
UW-Oshkosh provided King all the support he needed with its four-run first inning that was highlighted by RBIs from Surane, Scherrman, Shiu and Schreier. Shiu later produced run-scoring singles during the fourth and eighth frames, and a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Surane went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of stolen bases for the Titans while Modaff, Scherrman, Taylor, Shiu and Schreier each added two hits. Shiu had a season-best four RBIs. Scherrman scored four times.
Jordan D'Angelo and Brandon Gaskin had two hits apiece for Finlandia University.
Lions starting pitcher Greg Walker did not record an out while taking the loss. Walker (0-1) ceded four runs on two hits, one walk and one hit batter.
UW-Oshkosh hosts UW-Eau Claire for a WIAC doubleheader on Tuesday (April 19) at Tiedemann Field. The Titans and UW-Eau Claire split a pair of league contests March 29 in Ashwaubenon.
Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics