Big Seventh Inning Propels Titans Past Gorloks
SAUGET, Ill.- Seven runs scored in the eighth inning pushed the UW-Oshkosh baseball team past Webster University (Mo.) on Saturday afternoon. The St. Louis, Mo. Based Gorloks play their home games across the Mississippi River at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget.
Webster scored their first run of the game off starting pitcher LJ Waco in the first inning with a single. The Titans went down in three batters in the first four innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Webster went up 2-0, scoring on a center field single. A half inning later, with two outs and runners on first and third, Mason Kirchberg hit a home run over the center field fence to give Oshkosh a 3-2 lead. Waco put the Gorloks down in order in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the lead.
After a single and walk, Brenden Max reached first on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to second on an error. Connor Giusti made it from second to home to add another run to the Titans' lead. Two batters later, Matt Scherrman scored two when he singled to center, then second on an error. Zach Taylor and Nicholas Shiu each recorded drove in two runs with a single and home run in back-to-back at bats. After the last out of the inning was recorded, Oshkosh led Webster 10-2.
Taylor hit his first home run of the year in the top of the ninth with a grand slam to right. Logan King came in for the ninth inning to relieve Waco. Waco ended his day with 8.0 innings pitched, giving up two runs on six hits and eight strikeouts. King allowed a run on a double to make the score 14-3 before forcing a flyout to end the game.
Oshkosh moved to 3-0 on the season while Webster fell to 1-3.
Looking Forward
The Titans play their second of three games in Sauget on Sunday against Benedictine University (Ill.) at 10:00 a.m. at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.