Titans' Win Streak Extended To Double Digits
Elizabeth Fonk homered and drove in four runs, Erika Berry had six hits and four runs batted in and the UW-Oshkosh softball team extended its winning streak to 11 games with a pair of victories at Ripon College on Tuesday (April 19).
UW-Oshkosh (18-4) defeated Ripon College by scores of 10-1 in the opener and 9-1 in six innings during the second contest. The Titans have outscored their opponents, 76-11, during their winning streak that began on March 25 in Clermont, Fla.
Eleven of UW-Oshkosh's 27 hits in the two games went for extra bases. In addition to Fonk's second home run of the season – a three-run shot in the first contest – the Titans also tallied five doubles and five triples during their doubleheader sweep over Ripon College (2-22).
Berry, who had three hits in both games, increased her season batting average to .446.
Sara Brunlieb and Clare Robbe picked up wins in the pitcher's circle for UW-Oshkosh. Brunlieb (10-2) tossed five shutout innings on four hits and one walk during the opener, while Robbe (4-1) pitched all six innings during the second contest, scattering seven hits with five strikeouts.
In the opener, UW-Oshkosh held a slim 3-0 lead before adding four runs in the sixth inning and three runs in the seventh.
The Titans opened the scoring on a run-scoring double by Paige Giese in the second inning. Lauren Torborg hit a run-scoring double and Abby Menting provided a sacrifice fly in the third inning.
The Red Hawks loaded the bases on two singles and a walk with two outs in the fourth inning, but Brunlieb escaped the jam by getting Kaylee Arendt to line out to Berry at third base. Arendt had two of Ripon College's eight hits.
Fonk launched her three-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning off of Ripon College starting pitcher Lexi Reetz. Haley Bayreuther followed with a triple and scored on a single by Berry.
UW-Oshkosh pinch hitter Maggie Meyer greeted new Red Hawks pitcher Jessica Kobelt with a double to start the seventh inning. Hayden Krueger followed with a double to score Meyer, and Taylor Loew drove in Krueger with a one-out single. Berry capped the Titans' three-run inning with a two-out, run-scoring single.
Ripon College scored one run but left the bases loaded in the home half of the seventh inning against Giese, who relieved Brunlieb to start the sixth frame.
Reetz was charged with the loss after surrendering seven runs (three earned) on nine hits in six innings pitched. She walked one and struck out five.
In the second game, UW-Oshkosh struck for three runs before recording an out in the first inning. The Titans added two insurance runs in the fourth inning and four in the sixth.
Bayreuther led off the game with a triple off of Red Hawks pitcher Ashley Parkkonen, who then allowed a run-scoring single to Berry and consecutive walks to Torborg and Krueger before hitting Giese with a pitch to bring in a run. Fonk then drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Titans a 3-0 advantage.
Kobelt entered for Parkkonen and retired three straight batters on a strikeout and a pair of groundouts as the Titans left the bases loaded.
Robbe set down five straight Red Hawk batters until Stephanie Cartwright doubled to lead off the third inning. Cartwright advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an infield single by Reetz, who ended the game 3-for-3 at the plate.
UW-Oshkosh extended its lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning on a run-scoring triple by Berry and a sacrifice fly by Torborg.
The Titans' four-run, five-hit sixth inning was highlighted by a run-scoring single by Robbe, a two-run triple by Brianna Witter and a run-scoring single by Bayreuther, who ended the game 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs and one stolen base.
Robbe and Witter both added two of UW-Oshkosh's 14 hits.
Parkkonen took the loss, yielding three runs on two hits, three walks and one hit-by-pitch against the six batters she faced. Kobelt allowed six runs on 12 hits in six innings of relief for Ripon College.
UW-Oshkosh travels to Kenosha for a doubleheader against Carthage College on Wednesday (April 20).