Titans Earn A Pair Of Five-Inning Victories Over Pointers
Hannah Ritter and Amanda Mc Ilhany hit their first home runs of the season during the opener, Claire Petrus pitched a four-hit shutout in the second contest, and the UW-Oshkosh softball team scored in each of its offensive innings on the way to sweeping a nonconference doubleheader against UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday (May 4) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.
UW-Oshkosh (19-9) won both games via the eight-run rule in five innings, defeating UW-Stevens Point (20-15) by scores of 10-2 and 9-0. The Titans last claimed a pair of five-inning victories April 16, 2019, against Ripon College. UW-Oshkosh, which has won 27 of its past 31 meetings with UW-Stevens Point, swept both ends of a doubleheader from the Pointers by virtue of the run-rule for the first time since 1987.
The Titans, alone atop the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with two games remaining, extended their modest winning streak to four games, outscoring opponents by a combined 33-3 score during the span.
UW-Oshkosh collected 28 hits Tuesday, including 16 in the opener. Mc Ilhany led the way with five hits for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh also received four hits each from Ritter, Emily Cliver and Natalie Dillon while Gabby Buikema and Ana Iliopoulos added three apiece.
The Titans were 28-for-50 at the plate on the day to increase their team batting average to a WIAC-best .342 this season.
In Tuesday's first game, Ritter roped a two-out solo home run – the first of her career – to right field in the first inning, and the Titans never trailed for the rest of the day. Mc Ilhany launched a solo home run – the eighth of her career – to center field to extend the UW-Oshkosh lead to 2-0 after two innings.
The teams traded runs during the third frame as Ritter's single scored Buikema for a 3-1 UW-Oshkosh advantage before the Titans exploded for seven runs on 10 hits in the fourth inning to put the game away.
UW-Oshkosh sent 13 batters to the plate during the home half of the fourth inning that featured a two-run triple from Iliopoulos, a two-run single by Ritter, RBI singles from both Kailee Garstecki and Natalie Dudek, and an RBI double by Mc Ilhany. Cliver and Mc Ilhany both recorded a pair of hits during the fourth-inning onslaught.
Titans starting pitcher Maddie Fink improved her record to 12-3 on the year, scattering six hits and striking out two without issuing a walk in a complete-game effort. The complete game was Fink's WIAC-leading ninth in 12 starts this season.
Mc Ilhany and Ritter both went 3-for-3 for the Titans. Ritter, who finished the day batting .505 on the year, drove in a career-high four runs while Mc Ilhany doubled, scored twice and had two RBIs. Cliver, who doubled twice, and Dillon added two hits apiece.
UW-Stevens Point starting pitcher Makenna Tkach (15-6), the WIAC leader in wins and strikeouts, suffered the loss after yielding three runs on six hits with two strikeouts in three innings.
Maddie Candre and Sara Traxel both accounted for two of the Pointers' six hits.
During the nightcap UW-Oshkosh backed Petrus' first shutout of the year and sixth career with three runs in the first inning, one during the second, three more in the third and two in the fourth.
Petrus, who did not allow a runner past second base the entire game and extended her scoreless streak to 10 consecutive innings, struck out two and walked one en route to upping her record to 3-2 this season.
Garstecki walked with the bases loaded to score Buikema for the only run Petrus would need in the home half of the first inning. Dudek and Morgan Rau added RBIs later in the frame to increase the Titans' lead to 3-0.
Dillon drove in a run during the second inning with a double that plated Buikema and added another RBI during the third frame on a bases-loaded walk that scored Cliver for a 7-0 Titan advantage. Cliver then lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Rau with the eighth UW-Oshkosh run during the fourth inning, and Iliopoulos' infield single scored Dudek with the final run of the day.
All 12 UW-Oshkosh hits during the nightcap were singles as Dillon went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs. Iliopoulos, Mc Ilhany and Rau each chipped in a pair of hits and one RBI in the Titans final regular season home game of the year.
Rachael Wakefield was 2-for-2 to pace UW-Stevens Point.
Pointers starting pitcher MacKenzie Honish (2-3) was charged with the loss, surrendering three runs on three hits and one walk in one inning.
UW-Oshkosh concludes the regular season with a WIAC doubleheader at UW-La Crosse on Friday (May 7). The Titans, seeking their fourth regular season conference championship and first since 2007, can clinch the title outright with two wins on the final day or secure at least a share of first with one victory.
Photo by Patrick Flood, UW-Oshkosh University Marketing & Communications