Titans Open Season with Doubleheader Sweep Over North Park
CHICAGO, Ill.- The UW-Oshkosh opened the 2023 season on the road with wins over North Park University (Ill.) on Sunday afternoon at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
UW-Oshkosh defeated North Park by scores of 4-1 in the opener and 6-5 in the second game. The Titans recorded 21 hits on Sunday, with home runs from junior Jake Surane, sophomore Mason Kirchberg and senior Matt Scherrman.
Scherrman went seven-of-seven at the plate with three doubles and three singles to go with his home run, also recording two runs batted in and two runs.
Game One Recap
Oshkosh scored their first runs in the top of the second after sophomore Connor Brinkman allowed no hits in the bottom half of the first with a strikeout. Senior Connor Giusti drove in senior Jackson Broom with a deep single to center, advancing to second on the throw to home.
Surane led off the third inning with a home run to right, giving Oshkosh a 2-0 lead.
Brinkman went three up, three down in both the third and fourth innings, recording two more strikeouts.
Sophomore Mason Kirchberg opened the sixth inning with a leadoff home run of his own, putting the Titans up 3-0.
In the top of the eighth, Giusti recorded another run batted in, hitting a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Kirchberg. Brinkman ended his day with three straight outs in the bottom of the eighth, earning the win. On the day he allowed no runs, four hits and struck out four in 8.0 innings of work.
Senior Logan King came in as relief the ninth. He struck out one and allowed two hits and a run. North Park starting pitcher Bobby Bartlett was assigned the loss, allowing three runs and two home runs on nine hits over 7.0 innings.
Game Two Recap
The Vikings scored first in the second contest with a fielder's choice scoring a run in the bottom of the second. Scherrman responded in the following inning with the Titans' third home run of the day, also scoring Surane to give Oshkosh a 2-1 lead.
Giusti singled to center in the fourth, driving in sophomore Nicholas Shiu and further extending the lead. The Vikings got two on base in scoring position in the bottom half of the fourth, but starting pitcher senior Cameron Mulvihill escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Both teams scored in the fifth inning. Scherrman scored on a single from Shiu and North Park's Carlos Martinez scored on a single hit by Rylan Kawakami. Oshkosh led 4-2 at the end of the inning. North Park recorded another run the following inning, pulling the score to within a run.
Surane led off the seventh with a single, stealing second and third while Scherrman was up to bat. When a ball four wild pitch went past Scherrman for the walk, Surane stole again for Oshkosh's sixth run of the game. Senior LJ Waco, who came in for Mulvihill in the sixth inning, struck out two and forced a ground out in the bottom of the seventh.
Surane recorded his second run batted in of the day when his fly out to left field sent Broom home and advanced runners to second and third. The Titans couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, leaving two on base. The Vikings scored one more run in the bottom of the eighth, with the score sitting at 6-5 after the last out.
Mulvihill recorded his first win of the year, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned runs) on six hits. He walked three and struck out three more. Waco pitched a save with 3.1 innings of work. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out eight batters of his own.
North Park starting pitcher Tyler Bank had the loss, allowing four runs (two earned runs) on seven hits including a home run.
Looking Forward
The Titans return to action for three games at Webster University (Mo.) against Hanover College (Ind.) on Friday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m., Webster on Saturday, March 4 at 4:00 p.m. and North Park on Sunday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m.