Titans Sweep Muskies To Open Season
OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh softball team beat Lakeland University in both games of the doubleheader held in the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex on Saturday (Feb. 24), winning by scores of 5-1 and 2-0.
Hannah Ritter (Sr. • Marengo, Ill.) recorded a hit in five of her seven at-bats and scored once while Morgan Rau (Sr. • Downers Grove, Ill.) went 4-for-6 on the day with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Sydney Nemetz (Jr. • Marinette) and Abby Freismuth (Sr. • Fond du Lac) earned wins in their complete game starts on Saturday, allowing no earned runs and a combined seven hits with nine strikeouts.
The Muskies got on the board first in the opening game, scoring on a single to center field after advancing to second earlier on an error.
Nemetz walked the first batter, forced a double play ground out and a pop up to hold Lakeland scoreless in the top of the third inning and the Titans bats loaded up the bases with the first three batters in the bottom half of the inning on a walk and two singles. Sophie Wery (Jr. • Seymour) doubled down the left field line, scoring both Sydney Rau (Sr. • Downers Grove, Ill.) and Abby Garceau (Jr. • Michicot). Morgan Rau sent Ritter home on a single through the left side to put Oshkosh up 3-1.
The Muskies were held to just two hits for the rest of the game while the Titans added two more runs in the fifth inning on a Brianna Davis (Jr. • Oshkosh) double to center field and a Cali Divito (Jr. • Inverness, Ill.) single down the right field line. Morgan Rau and Davis reached home on the back-to-back plays.
Nemetz threw 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and an unearned run in the first game of the day and struck out five of the batters she faced.
Garceau and Ritter both had multiple hits, as the Titans held the Muskies scoreless in the second game of the doubleheader.
Morgan Miller (So. • Schaumburg, Ill.) hit a single to left field and advanced to second on the throw while Morgan Rau, who started the at-bat on second, scored a run for the second time of the day.
Oshkosh's other run came in the fourth inning. Haylie Wittman reached base on a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a fielding error by Lakeland's shortstop.
Freismuth finished the game with four strikeouts and no runs allowed while giving up three hits.
The Titans will return to the Rec Plex next weekend (Mar. 2-3), hosting Beloit College, Loras College (Iowa), Ripon College and UW-Superior in a two-day, eight-game tournament.