Titans Gain Split With Pioneers
Natalie Dudek and Carly Szada both drove in two runs during the second contest as UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville split a pair of WIAC softball games Saturday (April 28) in Platteville.
UW-Oshkosh (17-10, 4-4 WIAC) bounced back for a 7-3 victory in the nightcap after falling, 6-1, in the opener. UW-Platteville's win in the first game snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Titans.
The Titans are tied for fourth in the league standings while UW-Platteville (21-15, 6-8 WIAC), which completed its regular season schedule Saturday, is in sixth place.
In Saturday's second game, UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third inning with two runs in the first and four more in the third. The Titans extended their advantage to 7-0 in the sixth frame.
The first four Titans of the game collected hits, including Dudek with a two-run double that scored Erika Berry and Acacia Tupa. Tupa led off with double, and Berry and Kaitlyn Krol followed with singles ahead of Dudek's double to left-center field.
UW-Oshkosh tacked on four runs on just one hit during the third inning as Berry was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and advanced to third base following a pair of fielder's choice grounders that resulted in no outs recorded.
With the bases loaded, Abby Menting plated Berry on a sacrifice fly. Amanda McIlhany was hit by a pitch to reload the bases with two outs for Szada, who delivered a two-run single to right field for a 5-0 Titan advantage. UW-Oshkosh recorded its fourth run of the inning on an error by Pioneers shortstop Cayleen Ryan, who could not handle a groundball off the bat of Emma Fionda, allowing McIlhany to score.
The Titans increased their lead to 7-0 following consecutive two-out singles from pinch-hitter Brianna Witter, Berry and Krol.
Titans starting pitcher Bailey Smaney shut out the Pioneers on just four hits – all singles – through the first six innings before surrendering three runs in the seventh. Smaney improved her season record to 6-2, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out four across 6.2 innings.
Natalie Dillon notched her first career save by retiring the only batter she faced.
Smaney, who pitched around nine UW-Platteville baserunners over the first six innings, gave up a leadoff double in the seventh frame. The Pioneers denied Smaney's bid for her third career shutout when Ryan singled home Abby Jaques in the final inning. Smaney then issued a walk and hit a batter to load the bases. A pair of lineouts to Dudek at shortstop brought Smaney within an out of her fifth complete game of the season, but a two-run single by Abby Burns cut the Pioneer deficit to 7-3 and concluded Smaney's outing.
With the tying run in the on-deck circle, Dillon induced a lineout to third base to end the game.
Berry and Krol had two of the Titans' eight hits while Jaques and Shannon Gaul collected two of the Pioneers' seven hits.
Burns, the Pioneers starting pitcher, was charged with the loss after yielding six runs (five earned) on four hits and one walk in 2.2 innings.
In the opener, UW-Platteville starting pitcher Ashton Hoeppner received all the support she needed with a two-out, two-run double from Gaul in the bottom of the first inning.
Hoeppner (13-8), who entered the day leading the WIAC with 12 wins and 142 strikeouts, went the distance, ceding just an unearned run on five hits. She walked two and struck out eight while stranding eight Titan baserunners.
After allowing a one-out triple to Berry in the first inning, Hoeppner held the Titans hitless until giving up back-to-back singles to Claire Petrus and Menting with one out during the fifth frame. Hoeppner's lone run allowed came in the fifth inning, when she walked Berry after an error loaded the bases.
The Pioneers tacked on three insurance runs in the home half of the fifth inning as Ryan hit an RBI double and Rachel Martin produced a two-run single.
Menting and UW-Platteville's Jessy Tanel both had a game-high two hits.
Titans starting pitcher Claire Petrus (9-7) suffered the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in four-plus innings.
Dillon pitched the final two innings for the Titans in scoreless fashion with four strikeouts.
Berry's first-inning triple extended UW-Oshkosh's program record to 17 three-base hits on the year.
UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Eau Claire for a doubleheader Sunday (April 29).