Titans’ Pitching Strikes Down Eagles
Luke Westphal (So. • Clintonville) and Troy Mrkvicka (So. • Greendale) combined to allow just two earned runs over 18 innings as each threw a complete-game victory for the UW-Oshkosh baseball team against UW-La Crosse on Saturday (May 8) in La Crosse.
The Titans (17-19/10-12 WIAC) got a four-hitter along with five strikeouts as Westphal led his team to a 7-1 triumph in the opener. Mrkvicka got all his support during a five-inning span as UW-Oshkosh posted a 12-3 win in game two.
Scoring in the opening frame of game one, the Titans led from start to finish. Nolan Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) singled, stole second base and marked on a passed ball. During the fourth frame, UW-Oshkosh took a 3-0 advantage with tallies on a Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) double and Lucas Wirth's (Sr. • Omro) single.
Blake Berger (Jr. • Star Prairie) tacked on a sacrifice fly, and Kyle Kannenberg (Sr. • Oshkosh) roped a run-scoring single to make it 5-0 during the fifth. The Titans got their last two scores in the ninth on a Derek Hiroskey (Jr. • Kimberly) double and a single by Berger, who topped all players with three hits in the contest.
UW-La Crosse (16-22/8-14 WIAC) put its lone tally on the scoreboard after a walk set up Adam Cordova's double in the seventh inning. Mitch Running took the pitching loss, surrendering four earned runs on eight hits over eight frames.
The Eagles got an early rally to go in front during the third inning of the nightcap. After a Titan error, Corey Geary drove one home with a double. Two walks then allowed Lance Poppy to plate another run on a hit-by-pitch.
Four extra-base hits helped UW-Oshkosh take over with a five-run barrage in the fourth. The outburst included a two-run homer by Berger and a two-run triple from Wirth. The lead increased to 8-2 when Nolan Fadness crushed a solo home run in the sixth frame.
Brett Jacobson notched a leadoff double before scoring on Matt Johnson's single during the sixth for the Eagles' last tally.
Tyler Kamps (Fr. • Appleton), who lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth, tacked on a run-scoring double in the eighth inning. UW-Oshkosh marked its final scores on base hits by Wirth, Derek Layton (Fr. • Cross Plains) and Mickey Fadness.
Mrkvicka got the win after yielding eight hits, two of which belonged to Matt Trocke. The Eagles' loss fell on Brandon Walczak, who allowed six earned runs in 5.2 frames, before Tim Verthein gave up four runs in the next two innings.
Berger had another three hits, two runs scored and two RBI in the nightcap, while Mickey Fadness posted three runs, three hits and two runs batted in. The Titans outhit the Eagles, 13-8, after achieving an 11-4 margin in base knocks during the first contest.
UW-Oshkosh, which has won 20 of its last 22 meetings with the Eagles, will face UW-La Crosse for its final regular-season games on Sunday (May 8).