Titans Have Mixed Outcomes With Falcons
Maddie Fink earned a complete-game win during the opener and Hannah Ritter finished the day 6-for-7 at the plate as the UW-Oshkosh softball team split a pair of games at Concordia University Wisconsin on Friday (March 26).
UW-Oshkosh (7-3) won the first game, 3-1, before suffering a 6-1 setback in the second contest.
Ritter went a career-best 4-for-4 during the Titan victory and 2-for-3 in the nightcap to raise her team-leading batting average to .500 on the year.
UW-Oshkosh collected 21 hits Friday, including four by Natalie Dudek and three from Kailee Garstecki, but stranded 19 baserunners.
In the first game, UW-Oshkosh scored single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings while Fink limited the Falcons to just four hits through the first five frames until losing her shutout bid during the sixth.
Ritter got the Titans on the scoreboard with a two-out double that plated Katie Fontanetta in the third inning. Garstecki later drove in Ritter for the game-winning run on a two-out single during the fifth frame, and Acacia Tupa gave the Titans a 3-0 lead with a two-out double that scored Zoe Malone.
Fink pitched around a pair of one-out singles in the bottom of the fourth inning and a two-out single during the fifth frame. However, Concordia University Wisconsin's Kelsey Bollon connected for a solo home run with out in the sixth inning to deny Fink her second shutout of the season.
Concordia University Wisconsin (9-3) had the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs in the sixth inning, but Fink got a popup to shortstop Dudek in foul territory to thwart the rally.
Fink, who retired the Falcons in order in the seventh inning, improved her record to 4-1 this season after yielding seven hits. She struck out two without issuing a walk on the way to lowering her season earned run average to 1.03.
Garstecki had two of the Titans' 11 hits.
Bollon went 2-for-3 to pace the Falcons.
Concordia University Wisconsin starting pitcher Nicki Becker (5-2) was charged with the loss, surrendering two runs (one earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts across the first five innings.
During the nightcap the Falcons claimed their first lead of the day on a solo home run from Claudia Utz in the bottom of the third inning. Jenna Pozezinski added a two-run homer during the fourth frame to increase the lead to 3-0 before Utz tacked on a two-run double for a 5-1 advantage.
The lone Titan run came courtesy of an Emily Cliver single that scored Garstecki to cut UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning.
UW-Oshkosh left six runners on base through the first four innings and stranded three more over the final two frames. Trailing 3-1 with no outs and runners at the corners in the sixth inning, the next three UW-Oshkosh batters were retired to end the frame.
Dudek went 3-for-4 to lead the Titans while Fontanetta and Ritter, who has seven multiple-hit games on the year, both contributed two of UW-Oshkosh's 10 hits.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Mia Crotty (3-2) suffered the complete-game loss after giving up six runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in six innings.
Alyssa Volkowski pitched the first five innings to pick up the win for Concordia University Wisconsin. She allowed one run on nine hits and struck out five. Gina Followell was credited with the save, tossing two scoreless innings and holding the Titans to one hits with three strikeouts.
Pozenzinski, Utz and Kristen Fontana each had two hits for the Falcons.
UW-Oshkosh is off until playing a nonconference doubleheader at UW-Platteville on April 6.