Titans, Pioneers Post Extra-Inning Victories

Katie Koepsel (Fr. • Oak Creek) and Julie Sweeney (Fr. • Arlington Heights, Ill.) each hit two home runs during UW-Oshkosh's split at UW-Platteville on Wednesday (April 25).

Both women's softball contests required extra time to determine a winner. Koepsel smacked a round-tripper in the ninth inning to give the Titans a 9-8 victory. In game two, Nathalie Schattner tallied six runs batted in and the game-winning double to give the Pioneers an 8-7 triumph in eight innings.

UW-Oshkosh (21-15/6-6 WIAC) relied on Koepsel in the opener, as she hit a run-scoring double in the first inning and a two-run single in the third. The Pioneers (18-14/8-6 WIAC) responded with three runs in the first and Chantal McReynolds' homer during the second to tie the score at 4.

With two outs in the fourth frame, Hillary Trebiatowski (Jr. • Plover) grounded a single through the left side to go ahead. Sweeney stepped up to the plate next and crushed a three-run homer that made it 8-4.

UW-Platteville tallied four runs on four hits in the sixth. After RBI singles from Colleen Lowe and Molly Rice, Taylor Ruchti delivered a two-out, two-run single to tie the contest.

Koepsel homered with one out in the ninth to give Sweeney the pitching win. Sweeney went 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts after Courtney Wautier (Jr. • Brussels) and Kimberly Lohre (Fr. • Glenview, Ill.) each allowed four runs. Melissa Anderson took the loss with nine earned runs on 15 hits over nine frames.

Schattner almost won the nightcap by herself. She notched a run-scoring single in the first, a RBI walk in the second and a three-run homer during the fourth.

UW-Oshkosh had another strong start with three walks in the opening inning. Tess Fadness (So. • Eau Claire) then made the Pioneers pay by mashing a grand slam to center.

Trailing 5-4, the Titans got a two-run blast from Sweeney in the fifth frame. Koepsel later launched her team's fifth long ball of the day, gaining a 7-5 cushion in the sixth.

Two Pioneers singled to begin the bottom of the sixth, and Ashlen Folkers drove them home with a single up the middle. During the eighth, McReynolds opened with a double and posted the walk-off by scoring on Schattner's two-bagger into the gap.

Anderson got the win with one run allowed in three frames, while Jeni Freiburger started and yielded six runs over five innings. UW-Oshkosh had Wautier pitch five innings (five ER) before Sweeney took the loss with one run allowed in two frames.

In the doubleheader, Fadness, Koepsel and Trebiatowski each totaled four hits. Trebiatowski also caught a deep fly at the wall to take away a Pioneer homer.

UW-Oshkosh plays a twinbill at UW-Eau Claire (26-10) on Saturday (April 28).