Titans Sweep Blugolds For Sixth Straight Win
Twelve different Titans scored runs on the day as UW-Oshkosh moved into third place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball standings with a pair of victories over UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday (April 19) at Tiedemann Field.
UW-Oshkosh (16-10, 11-5 WIAC) extended its winning streak to six games with wins of 13-3 in eight innings during the opener and 10-6 during the nightcap against UW-Eau Claire. The Titans are now two games back in the loss column behind conference co-leaders UW-Stevens Point (20-4, 11-3) and UW-Whitewater (19-6, 11-3).
The Titans, who pounded out 14 hits in the first game and 13 more during the second contest, clinched the regular season series with UW-Eau Claire, three games to one, after the teams split a doubleheader March 29 in Ashwaubenon. UW-Oshkosh, which has produced at least 10 hits on 14 occasions this year, drew 12 walks and stole eight bases Tuesday versus UW-Eau Claire to finish the two games with a .409 batting average and a .530 on-base percentage.
UW-Eau Claire (7-17, 2-12 WIAC), which has lost four straight conference games since upsetting nationally ranked UW-Whitewater on April 11, remains seventh in the standings.
Jake Surane went a combined 6-for-8 at the plate for the Titans with two doubles, one triple, six runs scored, one run batted in and four stolen bases Tuesday.
UW-Oshkosh also received three hits each from Mason Kirchberg, Chase Marsh, Nicholas Shiu and Zach Taylor. Kirchberg and Taylor had six and five RBIs, respectively, during the doubleheader.
In Tuesday's first contest, UW-Oshkosh never trailed after scoring twice during the bottom of the first inning. The Titans tacked on two more runs in the second frame, one during the sixth and four in both the seventh and eighth.
The Titans literally walked off with the victory as Kirchberg drew a walk with the bases loaded to invoke the 10-run rule in the home half of the eighth inning.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Connor Brinkman (5-2) picked up the win after allowing just one run, scattering eight hits and four walks while striking out three batters in seven innings.
Surane was 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles, a triple, one walk, three runs scored and one RBI for UW-Oshkosh, which also received two hits each from Shiu, Sean Cummins and Eric Modaff. Ethan Schreier drove in three runs to pace the Titans while Modaff, Taylor and Matt Scherrman all added two RBIs.
Schreier's sacrifice fly provided UW-Oshkosh a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning. Schreier later delivered a two-run single for a 9-1 advantage after seven frames.
UW-Eau Claire had 10 hits during the first contest, including two each by Joe Clinton, Nate Witte and Nick Zezulka.
Blugolds starting pitcher Nico Smith (1-2) took the loss after yielding five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks with one strikeout across the first six innings.
During the nightcap the Titans and Blugolds exchanged runs in the first inning and were tied at 3 heading into the bottom of the third, when UW-Oshkosh took the lead for good on a Scherrman single that scored Surane for a 4-3 advantage.
UW-Oshkosh added six insurance runs during the fifth inning to extend its lead to 10-3 as Taylor laced a two-run double, Jake Andersen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Kirchberg followed with a bases-loaded double to conclude the contest with a season-best five RBIs.
Surane once again went 3-for-4 and scored three runs to go along with four stolen bases for the Titans. Surane, who has recorded 17 hits during his last 23 at-bats, is now batting .337 on the year with a WIAC-leading 21 steals.
UW-Oshkosh's Kirchberg, Marsh, Scherrman and Taylor each had two hits. Kirchberg's single in the second inning scored a pair of runs for a 3-1 edge. Taylor drove in three runs, including one on a single that plated Surane to tie the score at 1 in the first inning.
Matt Sorrells, making his first collegiate start on the mound, earned the win after giving up three runs on 10 hits and three walks with two strikeouts in five innings.
Aaron Huibregtse tossed 2.1 hitless innings of relief for UW-Oshkosh. Huibregtse walked two batters and struck out two between the sixth and eighth frames.
Clinton, Diego Caicedo, Cade Mueller and Chase Yaeger each contributed two of the Blugolds' 12 hits. Caicedo and Mueller both had two RBIs.
UW-Eau Claire starting pitcher Anthony Scimone (1-3) suffered the loss, ceding seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout in 4.1 innings.
UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Platteville for WIAC doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday (April 23-24).
Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics