Titans Shutout Blugolds in Friday Afternoon Games
OSHKOSH, Wis.- Five UW-Oshkosh pitchers combined for 16 scoreless innings to give the Titans (13-5, 4-2 WIAC) the doubleheader sweep over UW-Eau Claire (5-9, 0-4 WIAC) on Friday (April 7) afternoon. Since the games were originally scheduled to be played in Eau Claire and moved to Oshkosh due to poor field conditions, the Titans batted first and the Blugolds batted second.
Game One Recap
Connor Brinkman took the hill for Oshkosh in the first game, facing off against Eau Claire's Nico Smith. The Titans jumped on the board early, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. After Brenden Max and Matt Scherrman got on base with a single and a walk, Max was driven in by Zach Taylor with a single to right and. A wild pitch moved Taylor to second and Scherrman home.
The Titans loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and scored a total of five runs in the inning. Chase Marsh opened scoring on a passed ball. Taylor hit his second single to send Jake Surane home to make the score 4-0. Nicholas Shiu followed up with a single of his own, scoring Max. Connor Giusti hit a sacrifice fly and Jake Andersen singled to send Taylor and Shiu home. Ryan Parratt was relieved after Smith gave up his seventh run and closed the inning out by forcing Marsh to flyout to third base. Smith finished the day with 1.2 innings of work, giving up seven runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one.
Oshkosh went down in order in the third inning before scoring seven in the fourth. The Titans had runners on second and third when Giusti doubled which sent Taylor home and moved Shiu to third. Andersen was hit by a pitch and Marsh hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Shiu and make the score 9-0. Oshkosh scored twice on the same play for the first time of the day when a Surane double scored both Andersen and Giusti. A balk sent Surane home after another moved him to third. Scherrman hit his first home run of the year with a ball over the left field fence, also scoring Max.
Parratt was taken out at the beginning of the fifth in favor of Ty Schafer. He finished with seven runs allowed in 2.1 innings pitched with nine hits, two walks and a strikeout. Schafer made it through the inning without giving up a run.
In the top of the sixth, Scherrman made the score 15-0 with a double that scored Surane for the first of nine runs in the inning. Braydon Skenandore, who pinch hit for Shiu, hit a single to score Scherrman. Ky Mueller then relieved Schafer. Schafer ended the day with 1.2 innings pitched, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk. He later scored when Jake Andersen walked with the bases loaded. A wild pitch moved Andersen to second, Giusti to third and Mason Schultz home. Schultz had pinch hit for Kirchberg and reached on a single. Jackson Broom pinch hit for Surane and walked, scoring Giusti. Kendal Lecker relieved Muller, ending his day with 0.0 innings pitched, giving up an unearned run on two hits. Ethan Schreier drove in two runs (Morris, who had pinch hit for Marsh and Andersen) on a double, followed by pinch hit RBI for both Owen Housinger and Lukas Broske. By the end of the inning, the score sat at 23-0. Michael Hughes relieved Brinkman in the bottom of the sixth. Brinkman finished his day with 5.0 innings pitched, giving up no runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out six. Hughes allowed two hits and zero runs over 1.0 inning of work.
The Titans didn't score in the top of the seventh and Josh Jansen closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh with two strikeouts and a force out.
Brinkman (5-0) earned the win and Smith (1-1) was assigned the loss. Surane led the Titans with two hits (one double) in five at bats, scoring three runs while driving in two. The 23 runs scored by Oshkosh were the most since April 23, 2021, when the Titans defeated Finlandia University (Mich.) 24-3 at home.
Game Two Recap
For the second game, Matt Sorrells started for Oshkosh, while Charley Griffin started for Eau Claire.
Oshkosh scored again in the first inning when Scherrman hit a single that scored Surane.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth inning. With runners on first and third, Connor Giusti hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Shiu. Surane recorded an RBI when his single sent Andersen home.
Griffin was replaced at the top of the seventh by Travis Thompson and Trey Tennessen relieved Matt Sorrells in the scoreless seventh and eighth innings. Griffin pitched 6.0 innings, giving up three runs (one earned), while allowing nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Sorrells finished his outing with 7.0 innings pitched, giving up zero runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Cole Hinkel started the ninth and allowed an RBI double from Zach Taylor and sacrifice fly from Kirchberg before being replaced by Aaron Skrypek. Hinkel pitched 0.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. Oshkosh scored on a bases loaded Marsh walk and a loaded bases clearing double by Surane to make the score 9-0 before Skrypek recorded the third and final out.
Sorrells (1-1) earned his first win of the season, while Griffin (0-1) was given the loss. Surane led the Titans again, going four-for-six (two doubles) with four RBI and one run scored.
Looking Forward
The Titans will return to Tiedemann Field on Saturday to face the Blugolds in another doubleheader, with the first game set to begin at noon. As a reminder to fans, the lot off North Campbell Road is unavailable due to snow accumulation. Parking will be available in the lots of Josslyn Street and enter the Oshkosh Sports Complex from the gate between Titan Stadium and the softball field. There will also be no concessions available, so fans should plan accordingly.