Titans Continue Hot Hitting In Sweep Of Falcons
UW-Oshkosh scored eight-plus runs for the fourth straight game, defeating the UW-River Falls softball team twice on Saturday (April 5) at YP.com Park.
The Titans (14-4/4-0 WIAC) used three runs batted in from both Tess Fadness and Katie Koepsel to take the opener, 8-2. Hayden Krueger then drove home five runs and scored three more during an 11-5 victory in game two.
UW-Oshkosh has now won its four conference games by a combined score of 40-9.
During the first contest, the Falcons (10-11/0-2 WIAC) put two runners in scoring position with only one out in the second inning. Jill Vondrak responded by striking out the next two batters.
Lindsey Luedke began the bottom of the second inning with a double off the left-field wall. She scored on an error to give the Titans a 1-0 lead.
Koepsel did her damage with a two-run single in the third inning and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Tess Fadness also ripped a two-run double during the fourth frame that made it 7-1.
UW-River Falls tallied its runs on solo homers by Sarah Bohlen in the fourth inning and Abbie Morris in the seventh.
Vondrak (8-3) allowed just three hits, striking out three, in the complete-game win. Brooke Lauritzen, who took the loss, surrendered two earned runs in two innings before Lauren Janssen yielded three runs over the next 2.2 frames for the Falcons.
The Titans got going in the nightcap with a two-out rally in the first inning. Four consecutive singles included run-scoring hits by Luedke and Krueger. Taylor Loew then hit an infield fly that was misplayed, scoring two for a 4-0 lead.
Krueger stepped to the plate with two on and two outs in the second. She lifted a high drive that carried over the centerfield wall for a three-run homer.
The Titans added run-scoring singles from Krueger and Sara Wickman during the fourth inning to go ahead, 10-1.
UW-River Falls counted four runs on five hits in the fifth inning. Lauritzen delivered a two-run single, while Amber O'Connell contributed a run-scoring double.
Luedke crushed a home run in the sixth inning to create the Titans' final margin of victory. She extended her hitting streak to 16 games, which is just two short of the school record held by Sydnee Wyss.
Sara Brunlieb (6-1) picked up the victory with five strikeouts and five runs allowed in seven innings. The loss went to Morris, who gave up six earned runs in the first three innings.
UW-Oshkosh travels to Ripon College for two games on Sunday (April 6).
By Jon Feyen