Titans, Pioneers Trade Victories

UW-Oshkosh settled for its fourth split in five conference doubleheaders as the Titans posted one convincing win and a close loss against the UW-Platteville baseball team on Saturday (April 17) in Platteville.

An early lead held up as UW-Oshkosh (11-13/4-6 WIAC) earned a 14-3 decision in game one. The Pioneers (13-10/3-7 WIAC) took the nightcap, 5-4, as Brett Benesh scored three times and drove in the other two runs. It was the Titans' sixth one-run defeat this year.

UW-Oshkosh sprinted to a 5-0 lead in the opener, including a trio of runs on two hits during the third frame. Blake Berger (Jr. • Star Prairie) delivered the big rip with a two-run single, while Nolan Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) tacked on a run-scoring hit in the fourth. Doug Beattie (Fr. • Escanaba, Mich.) also plated one in both the third and fifth innings.

A walk and wild pitch helped the Pioneers get something going in the bottom of the fifth. UW-Platteville scored on a throwing error before Derrick Rice posted a single to make it 5-2. Following a Levi Ney double, Joe Nartowicz drove in his team's third tally during the sixth.

The Titans put the game out of reach with four runs in the seventh. UW-Platteville committed two errors during the frame, with UW-Oshkosh marking twice on one of them. Tyler Kamps (Fr. • Appleton) then smoked a two-run single for a 9-3 advantage.

Beattie and Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) each had a run-scoring single during the eighth, while Kyle Kannenberg (Sr. • Oshkosh) and Derek Hiroskey (Jr. • Kimberly) tallied a run batted in during the final frame. UW-Oshkosh registered a 14-7 advantage in hits thanks to three apiece from Kamps, Hiroskey and Nolan Fadness.

Luke Westphal (So. • Clintonville) fired all nine innings, striking out eight and yielding two earned runs. The loss went to Steve Nelson, who allowed four earned runs in six frames before Nate Poelmann completed the game and surrendered five earned runs.

A Nolan Fadness triple and a Berger single put the Titans on top in the opening frame of game two. UW-Platteville came back in the bottom half of the first with a run-scoring single by Joe Nartowicz. A double play helped stop the scoring after the bases were loaded with nobody out.

Benesh drove in a pair during the second inning after two Pioneers singled. Again, UW-Oshkosh turned a double play to keep its deficit at 4-1. In the third frame, the Titans made it a one-run difference with a two-run single from Beattie.

UW-Platteville got what proved to be the critical run during the fourth after a pair of walks. Aaron Hopson put his team ahead, 5-3, with a sacrifice fly to left. The next five innings were scoreless until Berger launched a solo home run during the ninth.

Wil Osmanski got the win after striking out seven and yielding four runs over eight innings. The save went to Brandon Byrne, who posted three flawless outs.

Sean Grabig (Fr. • Howard) allowed four runs on eight hits during two innings to take the loss. Troy Mrkvicka (So. • Greendale) surrendered one run over the last six innings for the Titans, who were led at the plate by Lucas Wirth's (Sr. • Omro) three hits.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville face off in another twinbill on Sunday (April 18) in Platteville.