Ninth-Inning Scores Lift Titans Past Vikings

Cooper Lang finished a double shy of the cycle and drove in six runs, Jacob Pohlman dominated in relief and the UW-Oshkosh baseball team scored six runs in the ninth inning to pull out a 15-9 nonconference win over North Park University on a windy Tuesday (April 21) in Chicago, Ill.

With winds gusting out to right field at more than 30 miles per hour, the teams combined for 26 hits in the slugfest, including 18 by UW-Oshkosh. Eight Titans drove in runs and seven recorded multiple hits as UW-Oshkosh (16-13) overcame a 9-4 deficit.

Lang went 4-for-5 with a triple, a home run, three runs and six runs batted in. He is now 8-for-13 (.615) on the season with two homers since making his first start on Saturday (April 18).

Pohlman did not allow a baserunner and recorded three strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched to earn his first win of the season. Pohlman (1-1) induced a double-play grounder from his first batter in the sixth inning and set down the side in the last three frames.

Andy Brahier and Jack Paulson added three hits apiece for the Titans while John Eagan, Luke Gajewski, Robbie Kleman and Logan Reckert each had two hits. Brahier, Paulson and Reckert all scored three runs, and Paulson drove in a pair.

Tied at 9 after eight innings, UW-Oshkosh exploded for six runs in the ninth frame on six hits and three errors. The first two Titans reached on infield errors, and Brahier plated the go-ahead run with an RBI single. Reckert laced a one-out, run-scoring triple; Paulson tacked on an RBI single; and Lang launched a two-run homer into the scorer's booth in center field for a 14-9 advantage.

Kleman doubled, stole third base and came in to score UW-Oshkosh's 11th unanswered run on a throwing error by the Vikings catcher.

UW-Oshkosh took a 3-1 lead in the second inning on consecutive run-scoring hits by Lang and Kleman. Lang drove in two with his first triple of the year, and Kleman followed with a single to plate Lang.

Lang extended the Titan advantage to 4-1 with a two-out RBI single in the top if the fourth inning, but the Vikings responded with six runs on three hits in the home half of the frame. North Park University's Mario Creecy singled in one run, and Greg Grana hit his first career home run, a three-run shot to right field off of UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Troy Mannebach, to put the Vikings up 5-4.

Dane Schultz came on in relief of Mannebach with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning. A wild pitch by Schultz allowed one run to score, and an RBI groundout gave the Vikings a 7-4 lead.

North Park University increased its lead to 9-4 with two runs in the fifth inning, but UW-Oshkosh rallied to tie the score at 9 with five runs on five hits in the sixth inning. Paulson and Lang hit back-to-back run-scoring singles off of Viking reliever Brett Kessinger, who had worked a scoreless fifth frame after entering for starting pitcher Matt Peterson.

Neal Ori plated the Titans' seventh run with a groundout against new Viking pitcher John Nemcek, and Eagan and Gajewski followed with consecutive run-scoring hits to even the score at 9.

Pohlman replaced Schultz with runners at first and second with one out in the sixth frame. Pohlman recorded his first 10 outs on the infield before he coaxed a fly out to center field to end the game.

Mannebach allowed seven runs on seven hits in the first 3.1 innings for the Titans. He recorded five strikeouts against six walks.

Schultz gave up two runs on two hits in two innings pitched before leaving in favor of Pohlman.

Zak Worsley paced North Park University (15-17) with three hits. Alec Strachota added two hits for the Vikings.

Nemcek (2-3) was charged with the loss for North Park University, yielding five runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk in 3.1 innings pitched.

Peterson went the first four innings on the mound for the Vikings, allowing four runs on six hits. Kessinger ceded four runs on four hits and one walk in his one inning of work in the fifth frame.

UW-Oshkosh travels to Ripon College for a non-conference game on Wednesday (April 22).