Titans Hold On To Sweep Blugolds
Jordan Manthei drove home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of the opener, Acacia Tupa hit a go-ahead home run during the sixth frame of the nightcap, and UW-Oshkosh pulled away for two WIAC softball victories at UW-Eau Claire on Sunday (April 29).
UW-Oshkosh (19-10, 6-4 WIAC) downed the Blugolds by scores of 5-2 in the opener and 8-5 in the second game. The Titans, who have won their last five meetings with UW-Eau Claire, swept the doubleheader despite being held hitless through four innings in the first game and through three frames during the second contest.
The Titans moved up to third in the conference standings, one game ahead of fourth-place UW-Eau Claire (19-15, 6-6 WIAC). UW-Whitewater (22-11-1, 12-2 WIAC) clinched the league title Sunday while UW-Stout (21-8, 9-3) remained in second place.
Ten different Titans collected hits Sunday, including Natalie Dillon and Tupa with three apiece. Manthei and Brianna Witter drove in two runs apiece in the opener. Kaitlyn Krol tied her career high with four runs batted in during the second game.
UW-Oshkosh's Claire Petrus and Bailey Smaney both earned a win and a save in the pitcher's circle Sunday.
UW-Eau Claire outhit UW-Oshkosh, 18-15, on the day, but the Blugolds stranded 19 total baserunners while the Titans left 10 on base, including just two in the nightcap.
In Sunday's first game, UW-Eau Claire jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Titans responded with each of their five runs and all eight of their hits over the final three frames.
Blugolds starting pitcher Sarah Peka allowed just two baserunners through four frames – a hit batter and a walk to begin the second inning – until Dillon recorded the Titans' initial hit with a leadoff double in the fifth.
Amanda McIlhany followed Dillon's hit with a single and both came around to score on sacrifice flies by Manthei and Witter, respectively, to knot the score at 2.
Petrus, who started in the pitcher's circle for the Titans, worked around a pair of Blugold baserunners in the home half of the fifth inning before UW-Oshkosh took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth frame.
Natalie Dudek led off the decisive sixth inning with a single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Abby Menting. Dillon flared a single to center field and, following a strikeout for the second out, Manthei sliced a single to right field to plate Dudek with the eventual game-winning run. Witter followed with a single that scored Dillon for a 4-2 advantage.
UW-Oshkosh capped the scoring with in the top of the seventh inning as Erika Berry hit a leadoff single and later crossed the plate on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
UW-Eau Claire's two-run first inning featured three straight two-out singles from Tessa Dachel, Katelyn Yute and Peka.
The Blugolds brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Smaney notched a strikeout and induced a groundout to end the game.
Petrus (10-7) picked up the win after allowing two runs on five hits in five innings. She walked two and struck out four.
Smaney secured her third save of the year, ceding three hits in two scoreless innings with one strikeout.
Dillon had two of the Titans' eight hits while Peka and Katie Rongstad both had two of the Blugold's eight hits.
Peka (10-8) suffered the loss, yielding four runs on seven hits and two walks in 5.2 inning.
In the nightcap, the Titans extended their lead 8-1 behind a six-run seventh inning. The Blugolds, who answered with four runs on five hits in the last of the seventh frame, brought the winning run to the plate with two outs, but Petrus got a groundout to preserve the UW-Oshkosh sweep.
Starting pitchers Smaney and UW-Eau Claire's Cheyenne Johnson battled to a 1-1 stalemate through five innings before the Titans took the lead for good in the sixth on Tupa's one-out solo home run.
UW-Oshkosh exploded for six runs on five hits in the seventh inning as Dillon hit an RBI single and later scored on an error by Rongstad, the Blugold left fielder. The Titans then loaded the bases with two outs for Berry, who drew a walk to score a run, and Krol cleared the bases with a three-run double.
The Blugolds' seventh-inning comeback attempt was highlighted by a two-run single from Dachel and consecutive two-out RBI singles from Yute and Bri Calder with the bases loaded. However, Petrus entered the pitcher's circle and got Mikayla McEnery to ground to Berry, who stepped on third base to conclude the contest.
Tupa went 2-for-3 with a triple, her second home run of the year and scored three runs. The triple was Tupa's WIAC-leading fifth of the season.
Smaney (7-2) was credited with the win after allowing three runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Petrus retired the only batter she faced to pick up her first save of the year.
UW-Eau Claire registered 10 hits, including two each from McEnery, Peka and Gretchen Arneson.
Johnson took the loss for the Blugolds, surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits in 6.2 innings. She walked three and struck out six.
UW-Oshkosh hosts UW-Stout for a doubleheader Monday (April 30) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.