Nationally Ranked Titans Sweep Pioneers
OSHKOSH, Wis.- The No. 21 nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh baseball team beat UW-Platteville with scores of 17-2 and 7-4 to sweep the season series on Sunday (April 23).
With the sweep, the Titans have won all the regular season games against the Pioneers eight times since the 2000 season.
Game One Recap
Starting on the mound for Oshkosh was LJ Waco, and for Platteville was Isaac Bixby.
After Waco put down the side in the top of the first, the Titans opened scoring with nine runs on eight hits, led by Matt Scherrman and Jake Surane who each hit a 2 RBI double. The nine runs were the most scored in the first inning of a game for Oshkosh since Apr. 10, 2009. UWO scored 11 in the first inning of a 21-2 win over UW-Stout at home.
In the top of the second, Waco allowed two runs on a single and a wild pitch to make the score 9-2. Mason Kirchberg scored the first of three runs in the bottom half of the inning with his seventh home run of the season.
Neither team scored again until the fifth inning when Jack McNamara walked in Zach Taylor to make the score 13-2.
Oshkosh added four runs in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on two hits, a wild pitch and a hit by pitch.
Logan King held the Pioneers scoreless in the top of the seventh, securing the 17-2 win for Oshkosh.
Scherrman went three-for-five with two doubles, four RBI and a run scored to lead Oshkosh at the plate.
Waco (5-0) earned the win in 5.0 innings of work, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Bixby (3-3) was assigned the loss. He pitched 0.1 innings and allowed seven hits and two walks for nine runs.
Game Two Recap
Starting pitchers for game two were Oshkosh's Cameron Mulvihill and Platteville's Brandon Molldrem.
Connor Giusti sent a run home in the bottom of the second on a single to the shortstop.
Two more runs scored for Oshkosh in the bottom of the fourth on a Scherrman groundout and a Taylor single.
Taylor and Nicholas Shiu hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to record two more runs in the sixth, making it a 5-0 game entering the top of the seventh.
Mitchell McLaughlin sent the Pioneers' first run of the day home in the seventh, doubling to left field and advancing to third on an error by Kirchberg.
Three more Platteville runs scored in the top of the eighth led by Jordan Collins with a 2 RBI single up the middle to make the score 5-4. Taylor and Kirchberg each sent a run in during the bottom half of the inning and Logan King finished the ninth with a strikeout and forced Hunter Hopkins to groundout into a double play, securing the 7-4 win.
Taylor went three-for-four in the game, recording a double three RBI and a run.
Mulvihill (5-1) went 7.0 innings, striking out eight and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. Molldrem (2-3) pitched 6.0 innings and allowed 13 hits for five runs (four earned) while striking out one in the loss.
Looking Forward
The Titans return to Tiedemann Field for a four-game series against No. 25 UW-La Crosse on Saturday and Sunday (April 29-30). Games are slated to begin at noon on both days.