Seventh-Inning Rally Lifts Titans To Sweep Of Muskies
The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball team erupted for a seven-run seventh inning during the nightcap en route to sweeping a doubleheader in thrilling fashion over Lakeland University on Tuesday (April 25) in Sheboygan.
UW-Oshkosh (24-8), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, cruised to a 9-1 victory in the first contest before stunning Lakeland University with a 9-6 comeback win in the second game.
Lakeland University (14-22) held a 6-2 lead after six innings in the nightcap, but the Titans collected eight hits and sent 12 batters to the plate during the seventh frame on the way to claiming their seventh consecutive victory over the Muskies.
The Titans concluded the day with 29 hits, including a season-high 18 during the second contest. UW-Oshkosh, which hit six doubles and a pair of triples, increased its WIAC-leading doubles total to 67.
UW-Oshkosh's Claire Petrus went a combined 5-for-8 with four runs batted in while Lauren Torborg was 4-for-4 during the second game.
The Titans also received three hits on the day from Erika Berry, Natalie Dillon, Emma Fionda, Kaitlyn Krol and Abby Menting.
In the second game, Lakeland University took its only lead of the day by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 6-2 advantage.
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Titans began their comeback with a leadoff double by Berry. Following a groundout, UW-Oshkosh strung together seven consecutive hits to reclaim the lead.
Menting doubled to score Berry, trimming the Titans' deficit to 6-3. Dillon followed with a pinch-hit single, and an infield hit by Petrus scored Menting and chased Muskies starting pitcher Lindsay Cudecki from the game.
The hit parade continued as Torborg greeted Lakeland University relief pitcher Taylor Bush with a single that loaded the bases. Amanda McIlhany then beat out an infield hit to cut the Muskies' lead to 6-5.
Caitlin Hoerning delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single for a 7-6 UW-Oshkosh lead as Torborg and Petrus crossed the plate with the tying and go-ahead runs before Fionda drove in McIlhany on a single up the middle.
Bush exited the Lakeland University pitcher's circle in favor of Rikki Vela, who recorded an out before the Titans tallied their seventh and final run of the onslaught on a two-out fielding error.
The Muskies had runners at first and second bases with no outs in the home half of the seventh inning, but UW-Oshkosh relief pitcher Sara Brunlieb escaped the jam by recording a pair of strikeouts and a lineout.
UW-Oshkosh owned a 2-0 advantage in the fifth inning as Menting lifted a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Krol laced a run-scoring double during the fifth.
Lakeland University's six-run fifth inning featured two-run hits by Mikayla Hilton and Megan Laib. The Muskies extended their lead to 6-2 on a two-out RBI double from Paige Chladek. Hilton and Laib both accounted for two of the Muskies' seven hits.
Berry registered three hits for UW-Oshkosh, including a pair of doubles, while Krol, McIlhany, Menting and Petrus had two hits each.
Petrus (4-1) was also credited with the win in relief for the Titans after allowing an unearned run on three hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
Brunlieb notched her first save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Bailey Smaney tossed the first 4.1 innings, yielding five runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks. Smaney retired 10 straight batters until issuing a leadoff walk in the fifth frame.
Cudecki allowed six runs on 14 hits across the first 6.1 innings pitched, but Bush (7-9) was charged with the loss for the Muskies after surrendering three runs (two earned) on four hits without recording an out during the fateful seventh inning.
In the opener, UW-Oshkosh scored a pair of runs in both the second and fourth innings before increasing its lead to 8-0 with a four-run sixth frame.
Petrus went 3-for-4 with three RBIs while Dillon and Fionda both had two hits and scored twice.
Hoerning singled to score Petrus with the game's first run, and a run-scoring groundout by Fionda gave the Titans a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
UW-Oshkosh extended its advantage to 4-0 with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth inning as the Muskies committed back-to-back infield errors. A fielding error allowed the third run to score before a double-play groundout resulted in the Titans' fourth run.
The Titans' four-run sixth inning, which included a run-scoring groundout off the bat of Berry, was highlighted by a two-out, three-run double from Petrus.
The Muskies avoided the shutout when Chladek hit an RBI single in the sixth inning.
UW-Oshkosh then capped the scoring on a run-scoring single by Brianna Witter in the top of the seventh frame.
Brunlieb (9-3) pitched five scoreless innings to earn the win. She allowed four hits and one walk while striking out three.
Clare Robbe pitched the final two innings for the Titans, ceding one run on four hits and one walk.
Eight different players accounted for Lakeland University's eight hits.
Lakeland University starting pitcher Niki Saviano suffered the loss after yielding five runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks in 5.1 innings.
Bush, who relieved Saviano, gave up four runs over the final 1.2 innings.
The Titans return to WIAC play with a doubleheader at UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (April 26).