Titans Move Into WIAC Lead Following Sweep Of Blue Devils
Hannah Ritter drove in the winning run during the eighth inning of the nightcap, Maddie Fink was the winning pitcher in both games and the UW-Oshkosh softball team moved into first alone in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with a doubleheader sweep at UW-Stout on Friday (April 30).
UW-Oshkosh (17-9, 9-3 WIAC) routed UW-Stout, 12-0 in five innings, in the opener before outlasting the Blue Devils, 2-1 in eight innings, during the second contest. The Titans are atop the conference standings – one game ahead of UW-Eau Claire (21-11, 7-3 WIAC) – with two league games remaining for UW-Oshkosh.
The Titans outhit the Blue Devils, 18-5, on the day en route to extended their winning streak to eight games against UW-Stout (5-20, 0-12 WIAC).
In the thrilling second game, UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Claire Petrus and UW-Stout's Sommer Kunstmann were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings. The Blue Devils took their first lead of the day during the sixth frame on a leadoff home run down the left field line by Shannon Jones against Fink, who relieved Petrus to start the sixth.
UW-Oshkosh's Ana Iliopoulos reach via an error to start the top of the seventh inning and advanced to second base on Natalie Dudek's sacrifice bunt. Kunstmann recorded a strikeout for the second out, but Amanda Mc Ilhany blooped a single to right field that plated Iliopoulos with the tying run.
Fink worked around a one-out walk in the home half of the seventh inning by notching a pair of strikeouts to send the game to extra innings.
Gabby Buikema was hit by a pitch to lead off the Titan eighth inning and bring up Ritter, who laced a double to the left-center field gap that plated Buikema with the eventual game winning run and a 2-1 lead. UW-Oshkosh went on to load the bases with no outs in the eighth frame, but a pair of infield outs and a strikeout ended the rally.
Fink gave up a leadoff bunt single in the home half of the eighth inning. However, a popup and sacrifice bunt moved the tying run to third base with two outs. Fink then struck out the next batter to preserve the victory and move the Titans another step closer to winning their fourth regular season WIAC title and first since 2007.
Ritter's game-winner was her team-high 10th double of the season and second hit of the nightcap. Ritter also paces the squad with a .495 batting average, a .520 on-base percentage and a .602 slugging percentage.
Dudek, Kailee Garstecki and Mc Ilhany each accounted for one of the Titans' five hits.
Fink (11-3) picked up her second win of the day after holding UW-Stout to one run on two hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Petrus, making her fourth start of the year, tossed five shutout innings but did not factor in the decision. Petrus allowed just two hits and a pair of walks while striking out a season-high five.
Jones went 2-for-4 to lead UW-Stout.
Blue Devils relief pitcher Maddee Kleinschmidt was charged with the loss, yielding one run on two hits without recording an out during the eighth inning in relief of Kunstmann, who gave up one unearned run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in eight innings across two appearances in the UW-Stout circle.
In Friday's first contest, the Titans scored five runs in the first inning and owned an 11-0 cushion after three frames in support of Fink, who tossed a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts.
Fink, who registered her second shutout of the season, was a third-inning infield single away from pitching the 11th no-hitter in program history.
The Titans provided Fink all the support she needed by scoring five times on five hits during the opening inning as Dudek and Iliopoulos delivered consecutive two-run singles.
UW-Oshkosh pounded out 13 hits, including three from Iliopoulos, and two each from Buikema, Dudek and Morgan Rau. Dudek drove in a career-high four runs while Iliopoulos matched her season high with three RBIs. Garstecki and Rau, who hit her team-best fourth home run – a solo shot in the fifth inning that provided the final score – scored three runs apiece.
Jessica Christensen was responsible for the Blue Devils' lone hit.
UW-Stout starting pitcher Melea Bruns suffered the loss, ceding 11 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits and three walks in three innings.
UW-Oshkosh, which entered the day ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III with a .976 fielding percentage, did not commit an error in either game Friday. The Titans have played a total of 12 errorfree games on the year.
The Titans conclude their nonconference schedule with a home doubleheader against UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday (May 4) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.