Ritter Becomes WIAC Hits Leader As Titans Sweep Eagles
OSHKOSH, Wis.- Hannah Ritter recorded her 238th career hit on Saturday (April 13), becoming the all-time WIAC hits leader as the UW-Oshkosh softball team defeated UW-La Crosse in two games.
Ritter (Sr. • Marengo, Ill.) went 5-for-5 with a walk, a hit by pitch, two runs scored and a double on her record-setting day. She passed Jenna Ahnen, who notched 237 hits for UW-La Crosse from 2008 to 2011.
The Titans (22-0, 2-0 WIAC) extended their record undefeated streak with a 5-4 win over the Eagles (12-14, 0-2 WIAC) in game one and a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
Sydney Nemetz (Jr. • Marinette) started for Oshkosh in the first game, going the distance with nine strikeouts. She allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. She improved to 9-0 on the season.
The Eagles got on the board early on an RBI single and a 2-run home run in the top of the first inning and added another run on a solo home run in the third to take a 4-0 lead before the Titans got on the board.
Oshkosh put runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth inning and Sophie Wery (Jr. • Seymour) knocked Sarah Hammerton (Fr. • Appleton) in for the first run of the day on a groundout. Haylie Wittman (So. • Kaukauna) hit a two-run shot in the following at-bat to left field.
After Nemetz put the Eagles down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, Wittman drove in her third RBI of the game on a single to left field that scored Abby Freismuth (Sr. • Fond du Lac) to tie the game up at 4-4. With the bases loaded and one out, Zoe Malone (Sr. • Pittsburgh, Pa.) walked off La Crosse on a fielder's choice where Wittman scored on a throwing error by the shortstop.
In game two, Freismuth (7-0) got the start and went 5.1 innings. She allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits with a strikeout.
Neither team got past four batters in an inning until the Titans scored four runs in the fourth inning. After Sydney Ray (Sr. • Downers Grove, Ill.) and Ritter singled to lead off the inning, Wittman hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season and second of the day for three RBIs. Wery went back-to-back with Wittman with a home run of her own for a 4-0 edge.
La Crosse got on the board in the fifth inning on an RBI single and the Titans added two more in the bottom half of the inning. Ritter became the conference's hit leader on a single to center field and scored when Wittman doubled to left field. After an Eagle pitching change, Wery hit a sacrifice fly to center field, sending Ritter across the plate.
The scoring was all Eagles the rest of the way. They scored once in the sixth inning on a single through the left side of the infield, knocking Freismuth out of the game. Brianna Bougie (Fr. • Oshkosh) came in as relief and finished the final 1.2 innings with a strikeout while allowing three unearned runs on two hits and a walk. She escaped the sixth by forcing a groundout to herself and struck out the next batter swinging.
In the seventh, La Crosse loaded the bases and scored its third, fourth and fifth runs on a walk and two groundouts before grounding out to short to end the game.
The Titans head on the road next week for doubleheaders against the Milwaukee School of Engineering and UW-Whitewater on Tuesday (April 16) and Wednesday (April 17) respectively.