Titans Sweep Pioneers In WIAC Debut
UW-Oshkosh, the top-hitting softball team in the WIAC, belted five home runs on the way to sweeping a doubleheader over UW-Platteville to open league play on Saturday (April 8) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.
The Titans, who have won 10 straight games over UW-Platteville, downed the Pioneers by scores of 10-6 during the first contest and 5-0 in the nightcap.
UW-Oshkosh's Erika Berry hit a home run in both games while Caitlin Hoerning, Abby Menting and Claire Petrus each hit their first homers of the season as the Titans won the first two conference games for the fifth consecutive season.
The Titans (18-4, 2-0 WIAC), who entered the day leading the NCAA Division III with 2.5 doubles per game, received two-base hits from Berry, Menting and Lauren Torborg on the day. UW-Oshkosh also went into Saturday's games leading the WIAC in batting average (.344), slugging percentage (.490), on-base percentage (.410), fielding percentage (.972) and opponent batting average (.223).
Sara Brunlieb (6-2) picked up her team-leading sixth win in the pitcher's circle for UW-Oshkosh in the opener before Bailey Smaney (4-0) remained unbeaten by limiting the Pioneers to just one hit in five innings pitched during the second game.
Petrus closed out the nightcap by tossing two scoreless innings to extend her nation-leading streak to 21.2 innings without allowing an earned run this season.
In Saturday's first contest, the Titans scored six runs on five hits in the first inning and extended their lead to 10-2 on a grand slam by Petrus during the second frame.
UW-Platteville (6-16, 1-5 WIAC) claimed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run homer from Jessy Tanel. The Pioneers proceeded to load the bases against Brunlieb with two outs in the first frame, but Titans first baseman Kaitlyn Krol snared a line drive off the bat of Madison Melms to limit the damage.
UW-Oshkosh quickly knotted the score at 2 as Emma Fionda drew a leadoff walk and Berry followed with a home run to left field against UW-Platteville's Rachel Bonnell in the home half of the first inning.
Petrus gave the Titans a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly before Hoerning delivered a two-out, two-run single to center field ahead of Fionda, who drove in UW-Oshkosh's sixth run of the first frame with a single to left field.
The Pioneers trimmed their deficit to 6-3 on a two-out RBI single from Thianna Wegner in the second inning, but Brunlieb stranded two more runners by getting another lineout to escape the jam.
Menting doubled with one out in the bottom of the second inning. Torborg then walked and Natalie Dudek was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Petrus, who hit a grand slam to left field for a 10-2 advantage.
Following Petrus' first collegiate home run that concluded Bonnell's outing, UW-Platteville relief pitcher Samantha Schmidt held the Titans to just one hit – a one-out double by Berry in the third inning – for the remainder of the game.
UW-Platteville, which stranded 10 baserunners in the opener, scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning and one run in the fifth frame as Kayla Kampmeier, Crystal Rote and Wegner each collected two-out RBI singles. However, UW-Oshkosh relief pitcher Clare Robbe allowed just one hit over the final two innings to secure the victory.
Brunlieb, who recorded four strikeouts, yielded five runs on six hits and five walks over the first four innings while Robbe surrendered one run on three hits during her three innings pitched.
Petrus concluded the game with a career-best five runs batted in while Berry and Menting led the Titans with two hits apiece.
Bonnell (1-6) was charged with the loss for the Pioneers, allowing 10 runs on seven hits and two walks in 1.1 innings pitched.
Wegner led all players with three hits for UW-Platteville, which outhit the Titans, 9-8. Tanel, who hit her second home run of the season, had two hits and scored twice.
In the nightcap, Smaney ceded just a one-out hit to Kampmeier in the third inning and a pair of walks as she lowered her season earned run average to 1.09.
Smaney allowed only one Pioneer past first base. With baserunners at first and third bases with one out in the third inning, Smaney struck out the next two Pioneers on the way to retiring the last eight batters she faced and preserving the shutout.
UW-Oshkosh backed Smaney's outing with three home runs to left field. Hoerning hit a two-run homer to open the scoring in the bottom of the second inning before Berry and Menting both launched solo shots during the fifth frame. Berry's second home run of the day gave her a team-leading four on the year and improved her batting average to .492.
Torborg narrowly missed a home run in the third inning as her two-out double off the center-field wall plated Menting for a 3-0 UW-Oshkosh lead.
Petrus, who relieved Smaney to begin the sixth inning, set down the first five Pioneers she faced before getting a strikeout with a pair of baserunners aboard to secure the Titans' eighth shutout of the season.
Berry, Hoerning and Menting each collected two hits for UW-Oshkosh.
Jess Butzen (4-6) suffered the loss for UW-Platteville after allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk in five innings pitched.
UW-Platteville's last road win over the Titans was a 2-1 decision on April 12, 2000.
UW-Oshkosh concludes its six-game homestand when it hosts UW-Eau Claire for a doubleheader on Sunday (April 9). The Blugolds (17-5, 2-2 WIAC) are ranked ninth by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.