Titans Bombard Vikings

Nolan Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) and Kyle Kannenberg (Sr. • Oshkosh) banged out seven hits each as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team scored in 14-of-15 innings for a doubleheader sweep of Lawrence University on Friday (April 2) at Tiedemann Field.

UW-Oshkosh (7-5) bolted to a 12-0 advantage and won the first game, 15-4. The second game, which was called after seven innings due to darkness, featured the Titans piling up 24 hits in a 27-6 victory. The games marked the 2010 home debut for UW-Oshkosh.

Nolan Fadness finished the doubleheader going 7-for-9 at the plate with three doubles, seven runs batted in and six runs scored, while Kannenberg went 7-for-11 at the plate with five runs batted in and three runs scored. Not to be outdone was Doug Beattie (Fr. • Escanaba, Mich.), who concluded the twinbill by going 6-for-8 at the plate with two home runs, eight runs batted in and seven runs scored.

Derek Hiroskey (Jr. • Kimberly) got the scoreboard working for the Titans with a two-run triple in the first inning of game one. UW-Oshkosh then added two runs on a Nolan Fadness double and one on a Blake Berger (Jr. • Star Prairie) double in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead.

In the third inning, UW-Oshkosh received a run-scoring single from Nolan Fadness and a two-run single by Kannenberg. The Titans utilized the long ball in the fourth inning as Beattie blasted a two-run home run to give his team a 10-0 advantage. UW-Oshkosh's lead went to 12-0 on a run-scoring double by Nolan Fadness and a run-scoring single by Hiroskey in the fifth inning.

Lawrence University (1-12) tallied two runs in the sixth inning on a groundout by Nick Pedretti and a single by Zach Owsley. In the bottom of the sixth inning, UW-Oshkosh scored on a throwing error and a groundout by Brett Hubbard (Jr. • Lodi) to take a 14-2 lead.

Following a run-scoring double by Hiroskey in the Titans' seventh inning, the Vikings completed the game's scoring with a two-run double by Larry Mikrut in the ninth.

Matt Wells (Fr. • Little Chute) started on the mound and was just as effective as the UW-Oshkosh bats. He yielded three hits without walking a batter through five innings to earn the win. The Titans also received three innings of pitching from Andrew Murphy (Fr. • Suamico) and one from Aaron Dressnandt (So. • Mukwonago).

Sam Ausloss was charged with the pitching loss for Lawrence University after allowing 10 runs, nine hits and four walks in four innings of work. Andy Frelich hurled the final four innings, yielding five runs and six hits.

UW-Oshkosh scored in every inning of the nightcap, including eight runs on six hits in the sixth inning and six runs on five hits in the fifth.

The Titans started their scoring on a triple by Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) and a run-scoring single by Hiroskey in the first inning. The Titans tallied three runs in the second inning on consecutive triples by Travis Derocha (So. • Green Bay) and Lucas Wirth (Sr. • Omro) and a sacrifice fly by Nolan Fadness. UW-Oshkosh scored four more times in the third inning to take a 9-0 lead. The key hit in the third frame was a Kannenberg run-scoring single.

Following a Pedretti double in the fourth, the Vikings scored their first run on a failed UW-Oshkosh pickoff attempt at first base. UW-Oshkosh responded in the bottom half of the inning, getting a walk, a single and a three-run home run by Beattie to take a 12-1 advantage.

After Gabe Henriques doubled in a run for Lawrence University in the fifth inning, the Titans again had a response as they scored six times in the bottom half of the frame. UW-Oshkosh's at-bat featured two-run singles by Beattie and Wirth and a run-scoring double by Berger.

Five hits, including a run-scoring single by Michael Baldino and a run-scoring double by A.J. Nathan, helped the Vikings break out with three runs in the sixth inning. The Titans then erupted for eight runs in the bottom half to take a 26-5 lead. UW-Oshkosh's six hits in the frame featured a grand slam by Troy Mrkvicka (So. • Greendale), a two-run double by Nolan Fadness and two singles by Kannenberg.

Both teams scored in the seventh inning, with the Vikings on a double by Pedretti and the Titans on a double by Derocha.

UW-Oshkosh's pitching victory went to starter Andy Cordier (So. • Sturgeon Bay), who fired three scoreless innings on the mound. Evan Matson (Jr. • Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada), who acquired the save, hurled the last four innings and allowed six runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts.

Lawrence University had five pitchers take to the mound, including starter Luke Kostreva. Kostreva surrendered 12 runs and 12 hits while hurling the first four innings. John Revis (five runs allowed) and Andrew Wilt (eight runs) followed on the hill, with each retiring two just batters.

UW-Oshkosh outhit Lawrence University, 15-10 in the opener and 24-14 in the nightcap. The Vikings were paced at the plate by the four hits of Pedretti.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won 22 of its 23 games with Lawrence University, travels to St. Norbert College for a doubleheader on Saturday (April 3).