Titans Earn Split Of Doubleheader With Lady Reds
Lauren Torborg went 5-for-7 at the plate with five runs and three runs batted in as UW-Oshkosh split a softball doubleheader with Carthage College on Wednesday (April 20) in Kenosha.
Carthage College (14-14) snapped the Titans' 11-game winning streak with a 6-3 comeback victory in the opening game before UW-Oshkosh (19-5) responded with a 7-1 win in the second contest. The Titans suffered their first loss since a 6-5 defeat to Fontbonne University (Mo.) on March 24 in Clermont, Fla.
The Lady Reds erased a 2-0 deficit in the first game by scoring a pair of runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings while starting pitcher Makenzie Walker limited the Titans to just four hits in a complete-game win.
The Titans, who have won 15 of their last 17 games, opened the scoring in the nightcap with one run in the fourth inning before adding four insurance runs in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Torborg had two doubles and scored twice in the first game and went 3-for-4 during the second contest with one triple, three runs and three runs batted in.
In the first game, UW-Oshkosh took a 2-0 lead on a two-run single in the top of the fourth inning by Hayden Krueger, but Carthage College tied the game in the home half of the frame on a two-run home run by Hailey Rothstein off of Titans starting pitcher Sara Brunlieb.
The Lady Reds took the lead for good with two runs on just one hit in the fifth inning. Sam McCloud led off the decisive inning with a single. After Shannon Walsh pinch ran for McCloud, Walker reached first base and Walsh advanced to second base on an error by Brunlieb, who then walked Kristine Herdegen to load the bases with no outs.
Clare Robbe relieved Brunlieb and walked the first batter she faced, Hailey Rothstein, to score Walsh with the go-ahead run. Darian Pelsor followed with a sacrifice fly to give Carthage College a 4-2 advantage, and Robbe recorded a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the inning.
Torborg led off the Titan sixth inning with a double. Abby Menting reached first base and Torborg went to third on an outfield error. Krueger drove in her third run of the game with a fielder's choice and stole second base with one out. Kaitlyn Krol walked to load the bases, but Walker notched two straight strikeouts to preserve Carthage College's 4-3 lead.
Walker and Herdegen hit consecutive run-scoring singles in the sixth inning to provide the final score as Walker retired the Titans in order in the seventh.
Walker earned the pitching win after allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out five.
Herdegen, Jodie Hurd, McCloud and Rothstein each had two of the Lady Reds' nine hits.
Brunlieb (10-3) was charged with the loss, yielding four runs (three earned) on five hits in four-plus innings pitched. She recorded three strikeouts and issued two walks. Robbe ceded two runs on four hits and one walk in her two innings of work.
In the second contest, UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Paige Giese and her counterpart, Katie Herron, were locked in a scoreless duel until Krol delivered a two-out, run-scoring single down the right-field line that scored Torborg from second base.
The Titans tacked on four runs on three hits in the fifth inning. Caitlin Hoerning led off the frame with a single and went to second base after Haley Bayreuther was hit by a pitch. Erika Berry hit a double to score Hoerning and Torborg followed with a two-run triple to end Herron's outing.
Pelsor, who entered the pitcher's circle for Carthage College, registered a strikeout before her wild pitch allowed Torborg to score for a 5-0 Titan lead.
Giese allowed a single to Walker and a double to Herdegen to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. Rothstein followed with a run-scoring single to trim the Lady Red deficit to 5-1 with no outs, but Giese limited the damage to a single run by inducing a double-play lineout off the bat of Abby Thompson and getting Alessia Knowski to fly out.
The Titans increased their lead to 7-1 in the seventh inning on a single by Torborg and a double by pinch hitter Taylor Loew.
The Lady Reds loaded the bases against Brunlieb, who relieved Giese to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, on a single, a walk and an error, but Herdegen grounded out to end the game.
Both teams had eight hits in the nightcap, including two by Carthage College's Walker.
Giese (5-3) earned the win for the Titans, ceding just one run on seven hits and one walk in six innings pitched.
Herron suffered the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in 4.1 innings pitched. She walked one and struck out eight.
UW-Oshkosh returns home to face St. Norbert College in a doubleheader on Thursday (April 21) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.