Titans Defeat Nationally Ranked Cougars To Earn Season-Opening Split
Jake Andersen's first collegiate hit gave UW-Oshkosh the lead against a nationally ranked opponent during the second contest of the day as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team split a pair of games to begin the 2020 season Saturday (Feb. 29) in Sauget, Ill.
UW-Oshkosh (1-1) lost its season opener, 2-1, to North Park University (Ill.) before coming back to defeat Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) by an 8-5 score in the second game of the day. Concordia University Chicago (0-1) is ranked 21st in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com.
In the victory over Concordia University Chicago, UW-Oshkosh overcame a three-run, first-inning deficit by scoring twice in the top of the third frame and three times in the fourth. The Titans then added three insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Concordia University Chicago's first inning was highlighted by a Brody Mariotti three-run double with no outs. After allowing the first five Cougars to reach base safely, UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Matt Wiechmann held Concordia University Chicago scoreless over the next six innings to pick up the win.
UW-Oshkosh began its comeback with a two-run third inning as Eric Modaff hit a run-scoring double with two outs and later scored on a balk by Cougars starting pitcher Cole Carman.
The Titans knotted the score in the fourth inning on a Sean Cummins sacrifice fly that scored Ethan Schreier. Griffith Lukes followed with a walk to put runners at first and third bases for Andersen, who split the gap in left-center field to score both Lukes and Kameron Dransfeldt for a 5-3 UW-Oshkosh lead.
UW-Oshkosh's three-run seventh inning included a squeeze bunt from Hunter Staniske that scored Modaff and a Schreier sacrifice fly that plated Staniske. Matt Scherrman also scored on an errant throw by Cougars catcher Kevin Garcia, who threw wildly as Staniske and Scherrman pulled off a double-steal of second and third bases, respectively.
Concordia University Chicago scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but Titans relief pitcher Trevor Niedzwiecki capped his two innings of work with a strikeout of Mariotti to end the game.
Wiechmann, making his first career start, allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with a career-best seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Scherrman went 2-for-5 to pace the Titans.
The Cougars, who outhit UW-Oshkosh, 9-6, received two hits apiece from Mariotti and Mateo Calle.
Carman suffered the loss for Concordia University Chicago, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in four innings pitched.
UW-Oshkosh and Concordia University Chicago were meeting for the first time since the Cougars defeated the Titans twice on the final day of the 2018 Duluth (Minn.) Regional to clinch a berth into the World Series.
In the first game of the day, North Park University starting pitcher Matt Pizur stymied the Titans after escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the first inning.
UW-Oshkosh's Modaff and Scherrman both singled ahead of a Staniske walk to lead off the home half of the first frame, but Pizur retired the next three batters on an infield popup and a pair of strikeouts. Pizur then held the Titans to two hits across the next six innings to earn the win.
Pizur (1-1) finished with nine strikeouts while allowing four hits and three walks in seven innings pitched. Justin Woolbright picked up the save for the Vikings after limiting UW-Oshkosh to an unearned run on two hits over the final two innings.
The Vikings backed Pizur's gem with two-out runs in the second and third innings. Nik Bell singled with two outs in the top of the second frame, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and eventually scored on a balk. North Park University extended its lead to 2-0 in the third inning after Nick Cecchi hit a leadoff single, went to second base on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on Jake Reinhardt's two-out single through the right side.
UW-Oshkosh scored an unearned run in the eighth inning as Lukes crossed the plate following a throwing error by Reinhardt, the Vikings shortstop, with two outs. The Titans had the potential tying run at second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth frame, but Woolbright set down the final two batters via a strikeout and a groundout. UW-Oshkosh concluded the game with 10 stranded baserunners.
Titans starting pitcher Will Michalski was charged with the loss despite yielding two runs on seven hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and zero walks across 7.2 innings.
North Park University (1-3) outhit UW-Oshkosh, 8-6, as Logan Peters went 3-for-4 to lead the Vikings.
Staniske was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for the Titans, who also received one hit each from Modaff, Scherrman, Dransfeldt and Schreier.
UW-Oshkosh plays 11th-ranked Webster University (Mo.) on Sunday (March 1) in Sauget.