Titans Defeat Red Hawks In Home Opener

Alex Koch gave UW-Oshkosh the lead with a solo home run in the third inning and the Titan baseball team pulled away to win its home opener, 8-1, over Ripon College on Tuesday (April 19) at Tiedemann Field.

UW-Oshkosh (9-13-1), which snapped a five-game winless streak, also defeated Ripon College (6-18), 13-1, in seven innings on April 13.

Koch led off the home half of the third inning with his first career homer that cleared the right-field wall to give UW-Oshkosh a 2-1 advantage. The Titans put the game away by scoring one run in the sixth frame and five more runs in the seventh. Each of UW-Oshkosh's final six runs were unearned as Ripon College committed five errors in the contest.

UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Max Keough (1-2) tossed seven effective innings to earn his first career victory. He allowed one run on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

UW-Oshkosh narrowly outhit Ripon College, 6-5, but each the Red Hawks' hits were singles while the Titans collected three extra-base hits. Ripon left eight runners on base while UW-Oshkosh stranded four baserunners.

Andy Brahier paced the Titans with two hits and two runs while Ripon College's Isiah Ramos had a pair of hits and scored the team's lone run.

Ripon College opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as Ramos singled and came around to score on a two-out single by Randy Finger.

UW-Oshkosh knotted the score at 1 in the second inning on a run-scoring, infield single by Neal Ori that plated Brahier.

Ripon College starting pitcher Aaron Langdon recorded seven consecutive outs before Brahier reached via a one-out infield single in the sixth inning. After Trent Whitcomb walked, Langdon's pickoff attempt at first base went to the fence, allowing Brahier to score from second base.

UW-Oshkosh had just two hits during its five-run outburst in the seventh inning that also featured two walks and three Red Hawk errors. The Titans had two outs and Jack Paulson at first base via an error by shortstop Ramos, but Langdon walked Dylan Ott and Paulson advanced to third base on a failed pickoff throw at first base by Ripon College catcher Michael Barnes. Ott stole second base, and Johnny Eagan reached on a throwing error by Red Hawks third baseman Nick Kita to load the bases.

Brahier singled home Ott to give UW-Oshkosh a 4-1 lead and end Langdon's outing. Kleman greeted new Red Hawks pitcher Ben Folger with a two-run triple to left field, and Kleman came in to score the final run on a wild pitch.

Ryan Wilkening, who relieved Keough to start the eighth inning, did not allow a Ripon College baserunner over the final two innings.

Langdon (1-2) suffered the loss for the Red Hawks, yielding seven runs (two earned) on five hits and five walks in 6.2 innings pitched.

UW-Oshkosh travels to Lawrence University on Wednesday (April 20).