Titans Complete Four-Game Sweep Of Pioneers

Joe Pavlovich (So. • Denmark) threw a shutout as UW-Oshkosh finished a 4-0 weekend against UW-Platteville on Sunday (May 5) at Tiedemann Field.

Pavlovich fired all seven innings, allowing just five hits, in the Titans' 10-0 opener victory. During the nightcap, UW-Oshkosh went ahead in the sixth inning and avoided a collapse for an 11-9 triumph. It was the Titans' first sweep of a WIAC series this year.

The long ball provided UW-Oshkosh (23-10/12-8 WIAC) with six runs in game one. Robbie Kleman (Fr. • Oshkosh) executed a hit-and-run to perfection during the second inning, when he launched a two-run shot over the RF wall.

Michael Polcyn (So. • Ripon) added two-run homers in both the third and sixth frames – each time driving home Michael Swift.

The Titans ended the game with three runs in the seventh. Swift, Doug Beattie (Sr. • Escanaba, Mich.) and Tyler Kamps (Sr. • Appleton) smashed three doubles in a row to complete the scoring.

Shane Murphy (loss) went 2.1 innings before Shane Sosinsky tossed the final 4.1. Both Pioneer pitchers allowed five earned runs.

UW-Oshkosh, which leads the NCAA Division III in slugging percentage (.535), booked three more homers in game two. The big blow was a three-run dinger from Bobby Kachel (Sr. • La Crosse) in the first inning. Kamps then smoked a solo shot in the second to make it 5-0.

The Pioneers (10-28/5-17 WIAC) took advantage of two errors to score three times in the fourth.

UW-Platteville tied the score, 5-5, after two runs in the sixth, including a RBI single from Topher Scheeler.

Polcyn and Kachel doubled to begin UW-Oshkosh's five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. After one Titan scored on a wild pitch, Beattie lifted a high drive that cleared the wall in right-center for a 10-5 lead.

Nine Pioneers came to bat in the ninth as the game suddenly got tight. UW-Oshkosh allowed one man to score on a wild pitch and two more to touch home on errors. The tying run was on base when Ian Zahn (So. • Fond du Lac) got the final out.

Zahn didn't allow an earned run in 3.2 innings for the save. Peter Jewell (Fr. • Muskego) picked up the relief win, going 1.2 frames with one ER and three strikeouts.

UW-Platteville used three pitchers, with Mike Boushley taking the loss after giving up 10 ER over 5.2 innings.

The Titans wrap up the regular season at #23 UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (May 8).

By Jon Feyen