Titans Split Doubleheader Against Whitewater
WHITEWATER, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh baseball team played two games in Whitewater on Sunday afternoon after weather forced the series to move. The games were played as a neutral site game with Oshkosh serving as the home team. The Titans ended up splitting the twin bill, winning the first game on a walk off home run from Mason Kirchberg and losing the second game 17-4 in seven innings.
Game One Recap
Connor Brinkman started for Oshkosh and Donovan Brandl started for Whitewater.
The Warhawks jumped on the board in the first inning, scoring two on an error after singling and walking to start the game. Oshkosh went down in order, but Brinkman forced the Warhawks out in order as well.
In the bottom of the second inning, Zach Taylor walked then advanced to second on a Nicholas Shiu groundout and Mason Kirchberg walked to put runners on first and third for and RBI single by Jake Andersen. Kirchberg reached third on the hit but was stranded when Chase Marsh grounded out to third. At the end of the inning, Oshkosh trailed 2-1.
Whitewater flied out to the corners at the beginning of the third inning and followed with three singles off Brinkman to load the bases. He escaped the inning without giving up a run by forcing a second flyout to left field. Oshkosh again when down in order in the bottom half of the inning.
The Warhawks extended their lead to 6-1 in the fourth with three home runs, scoring four runs off Brinkman.
His day ended after the fourth inning with six runs scored (four earned) on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Aaron Huibregtse relieved him for the fifth inning forcing three outs and stranding two on base. Marsh hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth after Eli Frank relieved Brandl at the beginning of the inning. Two outs were recorded before Matt Scherrman singled through the right side and Taylor sent him home with a double, making the score 6-3.
The Warhawks scored their seventh and eighth runs of the game in the sixth, scoring off Huibregtse with a single and a double. The Titans went down in order in the bottom of the sixth and entered the seventh inning down 8-3.
Trey Tennessen came in for Huibregtse as relief to start the seventh inning. Huibregtse pitched 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out one. Tennessen forced the first batter he faced to line out to center before allowing runners to reach first and second. A fly out put runners on first and third, but he didn't allow a run by forcing a groundout to Marsh at second.
Marsh continued helping the Titans in the bottom half of the seventh with a leadoff single for their first base runner of the inning. Jake Surane followed his lead and singled himself, putting runners on first and second. After Brendan Max flew out to left, Matt Scherrman hit yet another single, loading the bases for Taylor. Taylor hit Oshkosh's fourth single of the inning, sending Marsh home, and reloading the bases. Shiu was up next, reaching base safely on a fielder's choice that scored Surane but took out Taylor for the second out. The inning ended with an 8-5 lead for the Warhawks when Kirchberg grounded out.
Tennessen forced a fly out, line out and strikeout in the top of the eighth, giving the Titans the opportunity to close the lead even more. Sava Dupor relieved Frank before Oshkosh came up to bat, ending Frank's day with 3.0 innings pitched, and four runs allowed on eight hits and three strikeouts. Oshkosh loaded the bases in consecutive at bats with no outs on the board when Surane stepped up to the plate. He walked to make the score 8-6, scoring Connor Giusti. Jack McNamara, who pinch ran for Andersen, scored on the following play when Brenden Max grounded out. Headed into the ninth inning, the Titans trailed by just one run for the first time since the second inning.
Tennessen kept the ball for the ninth, pitching to McNamara when he stayed in the game at catcher for Andersen. He allowed a single and a stolen base to start the inning. The runner never scored because the next three batters went down in order with a strikeout, a ground out and a fly out.
Only two batters saw the plate in the bottom of the ninth because Shiu hit a leadoff home run to tie the game and Kirchberg followed it up with a home run of his own to walk off the Warhawks, completing a five-run comeback. The Titans finished the game with three home runs.
Tennessen (1-0) pitched to game win in 3.0 innings of work, allowing zero runs on two hits, a walk and two strikeouts. Michael Hilker Jr. (1-1), who recorded the final out of the eighth and pitched the ninth, was assigned the loss with 0.1 innings pitched, allowing two runs on two hits.
Game Two Recap
In the second game, Matt Sorrells started for the Titans and Trey Bretl started for the Warhawks.
Whitewater scored in the first inning again with a single with bases loaded. Their inning ended in the next at bat when they grounded into a double play. Oshkosh went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning.
The Warhawks scored five more runs in the third and the fourth, doubling and singling in the third and hitting two doubles and scoring on an error in the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Scherrman walked with one out to put a runner on for Oshkosh's fourth home run of the day, hit over the left field fence by Taylor to bring the score to 7-2. I was his team-leading fifth home run of the year.
Adam Cootway hit a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth and Sorrells was taken out of the game. He finished the day with one strikeout in 4.0 innings of work. He allowed 12 hits and a walk for 8 runs (six allowed). Parker Thompson came in as relief and recorded two outs while allowing two more runs before he was taken out in favor of Jordan Skenandore. Thompson allowed a hit and two walks for two runs in 0.2 innings. Skenandore recorded a strikeout to finish the inning with the score sitting at 10-2. Oshkosh loaded the bases on a hit by pitch from Marsh, a single from Surane and another single from Max after Andersen flew out in the first at bat of the half inning. Scherrman sent a run home with a single of his own. However, that was the last run the Titans scored in the game.
The Warhawks scored seven more runs the rest of the way before the run ruling Oshkosh. David Rubin drove in a run in the sixth when he pinch hit for Ryan Norton. In the seventh, the Warhawks scored on a fielder's choice and three singles. The Titans attempted a comeback, with Lucas Broske reaching second on an error after pinch hitting for Max. They went down in three straight outs after however, ending the day with a loss.
Bretl (2-0) earned the win and Sorrells was assigned the loss.
Looking Forward
The Titans will return to action on Monday, facing the Warhawks in another neutral site doubleheader in Whitewater with the first game starting at noon and the second game slated to begin at 3 p.m.