Titans Begin The Year With Two Wins, Two Losses

The UW-Oshkosh softball team hit nine home runs, including a conference-record tying three in one game by Lindsey Luedke, as it opened the season by splitting four games over the weekend at the Finlandia University Dome Invitational in Marquette, Mich.

The Titans (2-2) began the year with a 3-2 loss to Concordia University Wisconsin and a 9-5 victory on Saturday (Feb. 28). On Saturday, UW-Oshkosh dropped a 3-1 decision to Simpson College (Iowa) before bouncing back with an 11-3 win over Marian University.

Luedke smacked four homers during the weekend, including a league record-tying three against Marian University. Luedke becomes the fifth WIAC player to accomplish the feat, joining teammate Katie Koepsel and former Titan Amie Heizelman on the short list.

Luedke also paced the Titans with nine runs batted in during the four games. Haley Bayreuther and Koepsel added two home runs apiece while Caitlin Hoerning contributed one.

UW-Oshkosh hit a combined .320 in the four games and four Titans ended the weekend hitting at least .400.

Sara Brunlieb earned both of UW-Oshkosh's wins in the pitcher's circle and ended the weekend with 12 strikeouts and a 1.58 earned run average in 13.1 innings pitched.

In the season opener against Concordia University Wisconsin (1-0), the Titans scored in the top of the first on Hayden Krueger's single that scored Bayreuther, but the Falcons answered quickly with a run-scoring triple with one out in the bottom of the frame.

The Titans scratched across the go-ahead run in the fourth inning on two Falcon errors. Krueger led off the inning by reaching on an error by the center fielder and crossed the plate when the Falcons' pitcher committed a two-base error on the ensuing sacrifice bunt.

Brunlieb retired Concordia University Wisconsin in order in the fourth and fifth innings but gave way with a 2-1 lead in the sixth to relief pitcher Clare Robbe, who pitched around a two-out double in her first career inning.

UW-Oshkosh stranded a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh inning, and the Falcons rallied for three hits and two runs without recording an out to steal the victory. The first two Falcons singled, and Concordia University Wisconsin leadoff hitter Sadie Strasser drove home the game-winning run with a single to left field.

In Saturday's second game, UW-Oshkosh tallied four runs in the bottom of the first and pulled away from Lakeland College (0-2) by scoring twice in the third and fourth frames.

Koepsel answered the Muskies' run in the top of the first with a three-run home run to center field in the bottom half. The Titans added their fourth run of the inning when Erika Berry recorded a single, stole two bases and scored on a single to center field by Emily Mallek.

Lakeland College tied the game at 4 in the third inning on a run-scoring double by Rosa Gonzalez and a two-run home run to center by Jessica Beaudry, but Luedke put the Titans ahead for good with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third.

Bayreuther launched a two-run home run to left in the fourth inning, and the Titans added an insurance run in the fifth on a groundout by Mallek that scored Maggie Balke.

Brunlieb relieved Robbe in the fourth and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings for the win.

In Sunday's first game, UW-Oshkosh couldn't overcome three solo homers by Simpson College (6-0), which launched 20 home runs in six games at the Finlandia University Dome Invitational.

Bayreuther got the Titans on the board with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first, but the Storm cracked long-balls in the second, fifth and sixth innings to claim the victory.

Robbe limited hard-hitting Simspon College to five hits in a complete-game loss. The Storm ended the weekend hitting .384, but batted just .192 against Robbe.

In the final game of the opening weekend, Luedke smashed three of UW-Oshkosh's five home runs as the Titans cruised to a five-inning victory over Marian University (1-3).

Luedke ended the game with seven runs batted in after launching a solo homer in the first, a three-run blast in the third and a two-run home run in the fifth.

Koepsel added a two-run shot in the first inning, and Hoerning hit a solo homer, the first of her career, in the third.

UW-Oshkosh collected a season-high 13 hits in the rout over the Sabres. The top four batters in the Titan order (Bayreuther, Krueger, Koepsel, Luedke) went a combined 9-for-14 with nine runs and 10 runs batted in.

Brunlieb improved to 2-0 on the year by allowing three runs, including two earned, and striking out five in 4.2 innings pitched.

UW-Oshkosh takes on Bethel University (Minn.) and Buena Vista University (Iowa) on Saturday (March 7) at the Luther College Dome Games in Rochester, Minn.