Titans Shut Down Nationally Ranked Big Red
Benjamin Jung homered to lead off the game, Ethan Weinandy pitched a shutout with a season-best nine strikeouts and the UW-Oshkosh baseball team upset nationally ranked Denison University (Ohio), 4-0, Sunday (March 8) in Mount Berry, Ga.
Weinandy, who allowed five hits and four walks in his second start as a Titan, became the first pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout against Denison University since April 29, 2016. The Big Red, ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, had not suffered a shutout loss of any variety in their past 70 games.
UW-Oshkosh (2-4) supported the Weinandy gem with Jung's first career home run in the top of the first inning and three insurance runs during the third frame. Hunter Staniske delivered a two-run double with one out in the third inning before Jung came around to score from third base on the Denison University catcher's throw to first following a strikeout.
The Titans outhit the Big Red, 6-5, as Denison University left 10 runners on base. Matt McNabb also hit a double for UW-Oshkosh while Jake Andersen and Kameron Dransfeldt added singles.
Daniel Spencer went 2-for-4 to lead Denison University (3-3), which won a program-record 39 games a year ago on the way to appearing in the Division III Championship.
Weinandy retired the first six batters he faced before escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the third inning by recording a strikeout and a groundout. The Big Red loaded the bases again with no outs in the fourth frame, but Weinandy set down the next three hitters via a strikeout, a flyout and an infield popup.
After working around a pair of two-out baserunners in the eighth inning, Weinandy pitched a perfect ninth frame and preserved the shutout with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to end the game.
Big Red starting pitcher Trey Holland (0-1) was charged with the loss, yielding four runs on six hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in five innings.
UW-Oshkosh travels to Kentucky for three games next weekend, beginning with single contests against both Otterbein University (Ohio) and host Transylvania University on Saturday (March 14) in Lexington.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Zuberbier