Titans Lose 10-Inning Battle To Nationally Ranked Gorlocks
Landon Vahle drove in the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning as nationally ranked Webster University (Mo.) slipped past the UW-Oshkosh baseball team, 4-3, Sunday (March 1) in Sauget, Ill.
Vahle laced a single to left-center field score pinch-runner Scott Lovell from third base and provide Webster University the walk-off win. Vahle, the Gorlocks left fielder, atoned for a two-base fielding error that helped UW-Oshkosh tie the score at 3 in the top of the eighth inning.
The Gorlocks' Joe Swanson was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the 10th. Scott Lovell pinch-ran for Swanson, advanced to second base on a walk by Kellen Quigley and went to third on a Zach Goodman sacrifice bunt. Following an intentional walk to Adam Lovell that loaded the bases, Vahle fouled off four consecutive pitches before delivering the game-winning hit off of Titans relief pitcher Matt Scherrman.
Webster University (3-2), ranked 11th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, reached the eight-team World Series a year ago.
UW-Oshkosh (1-2) was attempting to defeat a nationally ranked opponent for the second straight day. The Titans downed 21st-ranked Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) by an 8-5 score Saturday (Feb. 29) in Sauget.
The Gorlocks outhit UW-Oshkosh, 10-7, but left 12 runners on base. Each of Webster University's hits were singles.
Adam Lovell went 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored and four stolen bases for the Gorlocks while Ben Swords added a pair of hits and two runs batted in.
Jake Anderson (1-0) picked up the win in relief for Webster University, pitching 2.2 perfect innings with one strikeout.
Scherrman, making his Titan pitching debut, suffered the loss after yielding one run on three hits and two walks in two innings.
Kameron Dransfeldt had two hits and one RBI to lead UW-Oshkosh.
Webster University starting pitcher Cooper Hake limited the Titans to three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts as he dueled UW-Oshkosh starter Ethan Weinandy, who yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts during his first appearance as a Titan.
UW-Oshkosh's Harry Orth provided 1.1 scoreless innings pitched in relief of Weinandy.
Webster University scored the first two runs of the game on Swords' RBI groundout in the home half of the first inning and a Swords single that plated Adam Lovell during the third frame.
Dransfeldt and Hunter Staniske both drove in runs in the top of the fourth inning as the Titans knotted the score at 2, but Staker gave the Gorlocks a 3-2 advantage with a one-out safety squeeze bunt in the seventh frame that allowed Swords to score the go-ahead run.
UW-Oshkosh tied the score once again at 3 in the eighth inning, when Sean Cummins hit a single to left field that got past Vahle and went all the way to the wall, allowing Cummins to reach third base. Jake Andersen followed with a sharp single up the middle to score Cummins with the tying run. Eric Modaff then walked to put two runners aboard for the Titans, but Anderson entered the game and retired the next two UW-Oshkosh batters to end the threat.
Anderson, who recorded each of his eight outs on the infield, set down the Titans in order in both the ninth and 10th innings.
UW-Oshkosh travels to Georgia for three games this weekend (March 6-8). The Titans begin their trip to the Peach State at host Berry College on Friday.