Titans, Falcons Settle For Slugfest Split
UW-Oshkosh continued its power hitting with seven home runs during a softball split against UW-River Falls on Saturday (April 20) in Menomonie.
Hayden Krueger (Fr. • Bristol) smacked a tying homer and the game-winning triple for a 7-3 victory in game one. The Falcons (19-11/4-6 WIAC) then scored seven runs in their final at-bat to gain a 7-6 decision in the second contest.
In their first 18 games this season, the Titans hit seven home runs. UW-Oshkosh has now hit 16 long balls in the last six games.
UW-River Falls took a 1-0 lead in the opener using a double by Abbie Morris. The Titans responded in the second frame with solo dingers by Tess Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) and Lindsey Luedke (Fr. • Howard).
During the fourth, the Falcons went ahead 3-2 with a sacrifice fly from Amber O'Connell and an infield single from Lily Buckley.
Krueger led off the fifth for UW-Oshkosh (18-6/5-1 WIAC), and she belted one over the fence in right-center to tie the score.
The Titans marked four times in the sixth to clinch the game. Krueger tripled off the wall to score Kaelyn Hogan (Sr. • Greendale) and go ahead. Fadness followed two batters later with a two-run homer for the final margin.
Courtney Wautier (Sr. • Brussels) earned her 12th win of the season with three earned runs and six strikeouts over seven frames. The loss belonged to Lauren Janssen, who yielded four ER in 0.2 innings.
In the nightcap, the Titans were in control for six innings. Katie Koepsel (So. • Oak Creek) started things with a solo homer to center during the opening inning. UW-Oshkosh made it 3-0 in the third with the help of an RBI single from Haley Bayreuther (Fr. • Janesville).
Krueger connected for a pair of home runs over the wall in left field. Both her shots came with two outs, as she ripped a two-run homer in the fourth and a solo blast in the sixth to make it 6-0.
Jill Vondrak (Jr. • Westchester, Ill.) fired six shutout innings with six K before the fateful comeback. Melissa Gutsmiedl (Fr. • Winneconne) started the seventh and was welcomed with a Kristy Martinson home run and doubles by Buckley and Hayley Buchanan. Shawna Middleton posted a two-run single that made it a 6-4 score. Next up was Ashley Goettl, who crushed a three-run homer to give UW-River Falls the walk-off victory.
Gutsmiedl was charged with five runs before registering an out. Wautier allowed the last two runs for the defeat.
The win went to Andrea Krause after she threw a perfect seventh. Brooke Lauritzen pitched the first six frames and surrendered six runs with five walks.
UW-Oshkosh is set to host UW-Platteville on Wednesday (April 24).
By Jon Feyen