Titans' Return To Action Is Sweep Of Pointers
Claire Petrus pitched a complete game and hit three doubles in the opener, Acacia Tupa drove in three runs in the nightcap, and the UW-Oshkosh softball team opened conference play with a doubleheader sweep over UW-Stevens Point at Madison College's Goodman Complex on Saturday (April 21). The games were played in Madison as UW-Oshkosh's home field was unplayable due to the recent winter storm.
UW-Oshkosh (15-6, 2-0 WIAC) downed the Pointers by scores of 7-2 in the first game and 8-2 during the second contest. The Titans, who have won 24 of their last 25 meetings with UW-Stevens Point, are 2-0 in league play for the sixth straight season.
In Saturday's opener, Petrus limited UW-Stevens Point to six hits – all singles – on the way to improving her record to 9-3 on the year. UW-Oshkosh supported Petrus' eighth complete game of the season with two runs in the second inning, three runs in the third and two more in the fifth.
Trailing 7-0, UW-Stevens Point broke up Petrus' bid for a shutout with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning.
UW-Oshkosh, playing its first game since March 23 due to weather, collected 10 hits, including two apiece from Kaitlyn Krol and Brianna Witter.
Witter drove in the first run of the game with a triple that plated Petrus. Witter later came in to score on a throwing two-out throwing error by Pointers first baseman Alyssa Cooper.
UW-Oshkosh extended its lead to 5-0 with three runs on four hits in the third inning as Natalie Dudek, Krol and Witter each recorded run-scoring hits in the frame.
Petrus laced a two-run double to increase the Titan advantage to 7-0 in the home half of the fifth inning before UW-Stevens Point cut its deficit to 7-2 with RBIs by Paige Allen and Ashley Cohen in the sixth frame. Cohen led the Pointers with two hits.
Pointers starting pitcher Anna Palicka (5-7) was charged with the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk in four innings.
In the nightcap, UW-Stevens Point took its lone lead of the day at 2-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, but UW-Oshkosh erupted for five runs during the bottom of the frame before tacking on two insurance runs in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth.
UW-Stevens Point (11-18, 0-6 WIAC) built its 2-0 advantage on run-scoring singles from Cohen and Rachael Wakefield.
An RBI single by Amanda McIlhany pulled UW-Oshkosh within 2-1, and Tupa gave the Titans the lead for good with a three-run triple. Erika Berry then lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Tupa for a 5-2 advantage.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Bailey Smaney allowed five hits over the first two innings but yielded just four more singles the rest of the way en route to improving her season record to 4-2 and notching her third complete game of the year. She walked one and struck out three.
The Titans' two-run fourth inning featured an RBI infield single by Jordan Manthei. McIlhany launched a solo home run – her second of the season – well beyond the center field wall to extend the UW-Oshkosh lead to 8-2 in the fifth inning.
Tupa went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs for the Titans. Natalie Dillon and McIlhany both chipped in two of UW-Oshkosh's 11 hits from eight different players.
Cohen and Lauren Luedtke had two hits apiece for the Pointers.
UW-Stevens Point starting pitcher Maddie Durie was charged with the loss, falling to 0-2 on the year after ceding five runs on four hits in two innings.
UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Whitewater for a doubleheader Sunday (April 22).
Photo by Paul Fionda