Courtney Wautier retired the first 14 batters of the game
Courtney Wautier retired the first 14 batters of the game

Wautier Tosses No-Hitter As Titans Shut Out Foes

Courtney Wautier (Sr. • Brussels) threw a no-hitter as UW-Oshkosh posted shutout wins against SUNY-Brockport and Knox College (Ill.) on Wednesday (March 20) in Cape Coral, Fla.

Wautier faced just one batter over the minimum as the Titans topped Brockport, 4-0. Melissa Gutsmiedl (Fr. • Winneconne) and Demi McAlpin (Fr. • Portage) then combined to blank Knox College for a 10-0 victory.

The only runners to reach base against Wautier came on an error during the fifth inning and a hit-by-pitch in the seventh. It was UW-Oshkosh's first individual no-hitter since 2007. Wautier and Kimberly Lohre combined for a five-inning no-hitter last season.

A pair of walks set up the first score of the day. With two outs, Hayden Krueger (Fr. • Bristol) ripped one through the left side of the infield to give the Titans a 1-0 lead. Krueger posted two hits in the contest.

Kassie Krueger (Jr. • Plover) doubled that margin with a RBI single during the fifth. Jill Vondrak (Jr. • Westchester, Ill.) pinch-hit later in the frame and poked a two-run single to right field.

Wautier struck out two while improving her record to 4-1. The loss fell on Korey Kobling, who yielded one earned run on five hits and four walks.

UW-Oshkosh (6-4) totaled six hits in the win over Knox (0-5), but the Titans took advantage of seven walks and four errors. Taylor Loew (Fr. • Burnett) drew two bases on balls in the second inning, and she added a single during the fourth.

Three Titans drew walks to force home runs in the third, while Lindsey Luedke (Fr. • Howard) smashed a run-scoring double into the gap.

UW-Oshkosh put the game out of reach with four runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Kassie Krueger and Tess Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) plated scores with grounders before Kaelyn Hogan (Sr. • Greendale) hit a sacrifice fly.

Knox College obtained two hits – a single from Rhiannon Neuville in the opening frame and a double by Annie Ford in the fourth.

Gutsmiedl went three innings, allowing one hit, for the win. Karlie Shields walked five and surrendered five earned runs for the defeat.

UW-Oshkosh takes on two Massachusetts schools this Thursday (March 21) in Fort Myers.

By Jon Feyen