Titans Advance To WIAC Tournament Championship Round
UW-Oshkosh clinched a berth in the championship round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament (presented by Culver's) for the first time in more than a decade after splitting a pair of games Friday (May 13) in Whitewater.
UW-Oshkosh (24-18), seeded fourth in the league postseason, secured its spot in the tournament final with an 11-4 victory over third-seeded UW-La Crosse (24-18) behind a complete-game pitching effort from Will Michalski and 17 hits from the offense during an elimination contest Friday at the four-team, double-elimination event.
The Titans will battle second-seeded and nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point for the title Saturday (May 14) in Whitewater. UW-Stevens Point (33-7), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, defeated UW-Oshkosh, 11-5, in the winner's bracket final Friday.
UW-Oshkosh, making its appearance in the finals since 2011, must beat UW-Stevens Point twice Saturday to claim the WIAC Tournament championship. The winner of the tournament earns the league's automatic berth into the 60-team Division III Championship that commences with regionals May 19-22.
The WIAC Tournament championship round begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. A second title game would follow, if necessary, 40 minutes following the conclusion of the opener.
During the triumph over UW-La Crosse, the Titans scored twice in the top of the first inning and never trailed, building advantages of 6-0 in the sixth frame and 11-3 heading into the ninth.
Michalski (6-0) pitched his second complete game of the season – both against UW-La Crosse – and fourth of his career. Michalski did not surrender a hit until a two-out single in the fourth inning and finished the contest allowing nine hits, including eight singles.
Michalski also went the distance during a 2-1 win at UW-La Crosse on May 1.
UW-Oshkosh got out to its 2-0 lead on runs batted in by Matt Scherrman and Zach Taylor. Eric Modaff and Jake Suranesparked the first-inning rally by singling and pulling off a double-steal of second and third bases before coming around to score.
The Titans tacked on a run in the third inning as Chase Marsh stole second base and the UW-La Crosse catcher's throw sailed into center field, allowing Ethan Schreier to cross home plate from third base.
After Michalski kept a bid for his first career shutout intact by pitching around a two-out single during the fifth inning, UW-Oshkosh created separation with three runs in the top of the sixth frame. Marsh and Jake Andersen hit back-to-back solo home runs with one out before Connor Giusti followed with a double and later came in to score on Surane's two-out double for a 6-0 lead.
The home runs were Andersen's fourth this season and Marsh's first. Marsh became the 10th different Titan to homer this season.
The Eagles tallied a pair of unearned runs on a two-out George Seaman home run in the sixth inning to pull within 6-2. However, the Titans put the game away with five runs across the ensuing two innings as Ethan Schreier lifted a sacrifice fly to up the lead to 7-2 in the top of the seventh frame.
UW-Oshkosh's four-run eighth inning was highlighted by a Taylor two-run double and RBI singles by Marsh and Andersen to stake Michalski to an 11-3 lead.
Marsh went 4-for-5 to lead the Titans' 17-hit attack that also featured three hits from Modaff and two hits each by Andersen, Surane, Taylor and Nicholas Shiu. Taylor had a game-best three RBIs.
Seaman and Zach Carney both accounted for two of UW-La Crosse's nine hits.
UW-La Crosse starting pitcher Jacob Bryant (3-3) suffered the loss, ceding two runs on two hits in the first inning. The first four of five total Eagles pitchers gave up runs against the Titans.
In the first game of the day, UW-Stevens Point answered UW-Oshkosh's two runs in the first inning with two of its own during the home half of the frame and took the lead for good with a four-run second.
UW-Stevens Point hit three home runs as Payton Nelson's two-run shot extended the Pointers lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Anthony Tomczak's solo blast provided a 9-4 advantage during the seventh frame and Logan Matson's two-run homer made the score 11-4 later in the seventh.
Nelson and Tomczak both drove in three runs for the Pointers, who received three of their 11 hits from Jakob Boos.
Surane went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a solo home run and a stolen base to lead UW-Oshkosh. Surane's home run in the eighth inning was his fourth this season.
Modaff and Schreier collected two of UW-Oshkosh's 11 hits. Schreier, Scherrman and Taylor chipped in runs batted in.
UW-Stevens Point starting pitcher Casey Pickering (6-0) earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Harry Orth (6-4) was charged with the loss after yielding 11 runs (10 earned) on 11 hits in 6.2 innings. Orth, the WIAC leader in strikeouts, struck out five batters and walked three.
UW-Oshkosh is seeking its second WIAC Tournament crown. UW-Stevens Point, which has won four of its five meetings with UW-Oshkosh this year, owns a league-record 11 postseason championships.
The Titans, back in the WIAC Tournament championship round for the ninth time, are seeking their second league postseason title and first since the inaugural event in 1998. UW-Oshkosh also reached the conference tournament final in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2011.
Photo courtesy of Chris Lindeke, UW-Whitewater Sports Information