Eagles Post Narrow Wins Over Titans

Matt Krueger and Scott Winters combined to strike out 15 batters as they tossed a pair of complete-game victories for Edgewood College against the UW-Oshkosh baseball team on Saturday (March 13) at Mall of America Field in Minneapolis, Minn.

Edgewood College took a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 win in the opener as Krueger yielded six hits while striking out seven batters.

In the second contest, the Eagles tallied a sixth-inning run to post a 2-1 victory. Winters allowed five hits and struck out eight batters.

Edgewood College (5-1) jumped to a 1-0 lead just two batters into the first game. Jimy Landwehr singled up the middle to lead off the contest, and Ryan Walker followed with a double. Walker was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a triple, but Landwehr still scored on the play.

In the second inning, Darren Besch and Scott Ortega of the Eagles earned one-out walks before Landwehr singled to right field. Landwehr's base hit scored Besch and chased UW-Oshkosh starter Luke Westphal (So. • Clintonville). After the pitching change, Walker drove in his second run of the game with a ground out to second base.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2) scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to close its deficit. Blake Berger (Jr. • Star Prairie) doubled and scored on a Tyler Kamps (Fr. • Appleton) single to make it 3-1. A triple by Nolan Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) then set up Mickey Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire), who posted a run-scoring groundout.

Edgewood College got a crucial insurance run in the sixth inning, with all the action coming after two were out. Ortega, Landwehr and Walker all walked in succession. With the bases full, Tim Barry hit a ground ball that was thrown away for an error. Ortega scored the unearned run to give the Eagles a 4-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Kyle Kannenberg (Sr. • Oshkosh) hit a leadoff home run for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh then put runners on first and second bases with two outs, but Krueger induced an game ending ground out.

UW-Oshkosh had six players count one hit each. Edgewood College compiled eight hits, including two by both Landwehr and Tim Barry.

Westphal took the pitching loss for UW-Oshkosh after surrendering three runs and five hits over 1.1 innings. Troy Mrkvicka (So. • Greendale) and Kannenberg followed with 4.1 and 1.1 innings of relief, respectively. Mrkvicka allowed one run and two hits, while Kannenberg yielded just one hit in a scoreless effort.

Winters gave up two hits to the Titans in the first inning of the second game, but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a ground out. In the second inning, Edgewood College grabbed the lead as Barry doubled, moved to third base on a wild pitch and then scored on a Seth Astroth groundout.

UW-Oshkosh tied the game with an unearned run in the fifth inning. Kannenberg reached on an infield error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek Hiroskey (Jr. • Kimberly).

A one-out UW-Oshkosh fielding error started the deciding sixth inning for Edgewood College. Following the error, pinch-runner Brandon Bartels stole second base and then scored on Mitch Morgensen's two-out single.

UW-Oshkosh put runners on first and third bases with two outs in the seventh inning, but Kamps hit a sinking liner to left field that was caught to end the game.

The teams combined for just nine hits, with five UW-Oshkosh players totaling one each and four Edgewood College players compiling one hit apiece.

Sean Grabig (Fr. • Howard) hurled the first four innings for the Titans and allowed one and two hits while striking out five batters. Kannenberg suffered the loss after pitching the final two frames. He yielded one run and two hits.

UW-Oshkosh remains in Minneapolis to play Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) on Sunday (March 14).