Titans Salvage Split With Offensive Explosion
UW-Oshkosh belted 15 hits in three innings to top The College of Wooster (Ohio) softball team, 11-2, on Sunday (March 17) in Fort Myers, Fla. The Titans fell to NYU-Polytechnic Institute, 4-0, in their first game of the day.
Against Wooster, Katie Koepsel (So. • Oak Creek) led the way with five runs batted in. She crushed a two-run homer to centerfield in the opening frame. During the third, Koepsel ripped a two-run single that put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 11-0.
Other run-scoring hits included a Kassie Krueger (Jr. • Plover) triple in the first inning and a Tess Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) double in the second.
Haley Bayreuther (Fr. • Janesville) topped the Titans (4-2) with three hits and three runs scored.
In the first four innings, Courtney Wautier (Sr. • Brussels) struck out nine batters for the win. Wooster's only run off her came on a wild pitch during the fourth frame.
Skye Patterson marked two hits, including a RBI single, for the Fighting Scots (7-5).
The loss went to Gina Pirolozzi after she yielded four runs
while getting two outs. Allie Webb went the final 4.1 innings and
allowed seven runs on 14 hits.
NYU-Poly's Lyndsey Rathburn tossed six shutout innings to beat the
Titans in the early contest. UW-Oshkosh had four hits – all
singles – and did not advance past second base.
The Blue Jays (3-2) gained a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a pair of groundball hits. Shelby Bruns and Sadie Hoeschen each snuck a single up the middle to plate one run.
UW-Oshkosh's highlight came in the bottom of the fifth, when Corine Fitzgibbons launched a ball to deep centerfield. Hayden Krueger (Fr. • Bristol) reached over the wall and made the catch while crashing into the fence. The fence collapsed and had to be reassembled, but Krueger held on for the spectacular putout.
Melissa Gutsmiedl (Fr. • Winneconne) gave up four ER with three strikeouts over six innings for the defeat.
The Titans meet North Central College (Ill.) and the University of New England (Maine) in Cape Coral on Monday (March 18).
By Jon Feyen