Eagles Defeat Titans In WIAC Postseason
WHITEWATER, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh baseball team scored nine runs and led 9-2 in the top of the fifth inning against UW-La Crosse in the WIAC Tournament (Presented by Culver's) in Whitewater on Friday (May 10) before falling 17-9.
The Titans (19-21, 12-12 WIAC) hit 11 times and walked four times with eight RBIs and just three strikeouts while leaving 11 on base. The Eagles (30-12, 31-12, 16-8 WIAC) recorded 17 RBIs on 20 hits and four walks with 10 strikeouts and 11 left on base.
Brenden Max (So. • Libertyville, Ill.) went two-for-5 with two runs, 4 RBIs and a walk against UW-La Crosse in Friday's contest.
Connor Brinkman (Jr. • New London) was the Titans' starting pitcher, going 2.1 innings with three strikeouts while allowing seven runs on nine hits.
The Eagles scored in first in the first inning with a two-run home run.
The Titans took the lead in the top of the second on a Jack McNamara (So. • LaGrange, Ill.) single to center field, a 2-RBI single through the middle by Max and an Owen Housinger (So. • Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) RBI single through the middle with and error that advanced him to third.
In the bottom of the third, the Eagles took an 8-5 lead on a sacrifice fly, three singles and a walk. After Brinkman allowed La Crosse's fourth run, he was pulled in favor of Parker Thompson (So. • Wauwatosa), who threw the remainder of the inning and the first two batters of the following inning. Aaron Huibregtse (Jr. • Oostburg) relieved Thompson and pitched 2.1 innings with a strikeout while allowing five hits and two walks for five runs. He was assigned the loss and is now 1-2.
Jake Surane (Sr. • Lincolnshire, Ill.) scored Max and Braydon Skenandore (So. • De Pere) in the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle to make the score 8-7. Max gave Oshkosh the lead in the top of the fifth when he sent Carter Stebane (Jr. • Brillion) and Kirchberg (Jr. • DeForest) home on a single to left center.
Over the next four innings, UW-La Crosse scored nine runs on four home runs and a single. Josh Jansen (So. • DeForest) came in with one down in the bottom of the sixth inning. He threw 2.2 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits with a career high six strikeouts.
Surane led UW-Oshkosh this season with 65 hits, 45 runs, 15 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Kirchberg hit 13 home runs and totaled 47 RBIs while both Surane and Jack McKellips (Fr. • Pewaukee) both registered two triples across the season and Nick Shiu (Jr. • Gurnee, Ill.) hit .417 (53-for-127) with just 11 strikeouts.
On the mound, LJ Waco (Sr. • Cary, Ill.) compiled a 5-3 record in nine starts with a save and three complete games while throwing 62.1 innings. He struck out a team high 79 batters, 11.41 per nine innings and allowed 20 earned runs for a 2.89 ERA. Brinkman started on the rubber 11 times for Oshkosh. He threw 73.1 innings with 67 strikeouts for a 5-3 record and four complete games. Brett Gaynor (Fr. • Long Grove, Ill.) and Jansen both notched two saves.