Titans Defeat Three-Time National Champion To Remain Alive In NCAA Championship
UW-Oshkosh scored three runs in the first inning and cruised past Tufts University (Mass.), 7-1, during an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship on Friday (May 28) in Salem, Va.
In a 2021 season that began with 383 teams, the Titans are among the final six still vying for a national championship. Today's victory, that not even an hour-long rain delay during the sixth inning could derail, marked UW-Oshkosh's first at the World Series since the program was formed in 1971.
Eighth-seeded UW-Oshkosh (29-12), making its second appearance at the World Series and first since 1988, will play another elimination contest at the Division III Championship on Saturday (May 29) against the loser of Game 7 that features top-seeded DePauw University (Ind.) and fourth-seeded Texas Lutheran University. DePauw University (39-3) is ranked first in the country by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association while Texas Lutheran University (33-4), the 2019 national champion, is tied for second in the NFCA poll.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Maddie Fink (21-4) once again went the distance, completing her ninth consecutive start on the way to limiting Tufts University to seven hits and one walk in seven innings. Fink, who retired six of the eight batters she faced after the lengthy rain delay, struck out three and notched her 19th complete game of the season.
The Titans outhit the three-time Division III champion Jumbos, 9-7, as Amanda Mc Ilhany and Acacia Tupa had two hits apiece for UW-Oshkosh. Five different Titans drove in runs, including Morgan Rau with two RBIs. Mc Ilhany, Tupa, Ana Iliopoulos and Hannah Ritter also had runs batted in.
Tufts University, which won three straight national titles from 2013-15, scored its lone run during the second inning, but Fink and UW-Oshkosh defense maintained a 3-1 lead until putting the game away with four runs on three hits in the top of the sixth frame before the skies opened up and precipitated the rain delay.
Rau delivered a two-out, two-run single that proved to be the difference in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded, Rau lifted fly ball to shallow left field that allowed Tupa and Ritter to score. Mc Ilhany then followed with a singled to shallow center field to plate Natalie Dudek for a 3-0 lead. Tupa led off the game with a double ahead of Ritter's single and a Dudek walk as UW-Oshkosh collected four hits in the opening inning.
Fink, starting for the 10th time in Titans' past 11 games, pitched around a two-out double during the home half of the first inning but allowed a run in the second after giving up back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly.
The Jumbos once again had their leadoff batter aboard in the third inning. However, Fink got a pair of outs on the infield before escaping the inning on a key defensive play following a hit through the right side as a relay throw from right fielder Kailee Garstecki to second baseman Mc Ilhany to third baseman Iliopoulos and back to shortstop Dudek, who applied a tag at second base to nab Nicole Russo attempting to stretch a single into a double. UW-Oshkosh, which committed one error on an interference call Friday, entered the day ranked sixth in the nation with a .978 fielding percentage.
UW-Oshkosh's four-run outburst in the sixth inning was sparked by a leadoff single from Emily Cliver. Pinch runner Sydney Rau eventually reached third base as Mc Ilhany and Garstecki both singled to load the bases with one out for Iliopoulos and Tupa, who both walked to force in runs. Ritter followed with a grounder that plated Garstecki, and the Titans capped rally when Iliopoulos crossed the plate on an infield error on a ground ball off the bat of Gabby Buikema.
Fink set down 10 of 12 batters until yielding a single and a walk with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. A strikeout and a foul out to Rau at first base preserved the Titans' six-run lead following the rain delay. Fink then retired the Jumbos in order during the seventh frame to secure the victory. Fink's 21 wins this season are now tied for second in school history and tied for 10th all-time by a pitcher from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Mia Steinberg and Casey Maggiore both had two hits to pace Tufts University (21-7), which was eliminated from the tournament with the setback. The Jumbos won the New England Small College Athletic Conference's automatic berth into the 48-team Division III Championship field. They gave up just seven total runs en route to winning all four of their NCAA postseason contests to earn the Bangor (Maine) Regional title and ceded more than six runs to a Division III team just twice previously this season.
Jumbos starting pitcher Kristina Haghdan (8-5) suffered the loss, surrendering three runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in two innings.
UW-Oshkosh and Tufts University were meeting for the first time since at least the 1985 season. The Titans, the Eau Claire Regional winners, were the WIAC regular season co-champions and league tournament champions.
UW-Oshkosh Postgame Interview • Head Coach Scott Beyer & Outfielder Acacia Tupa
NCAA Division III Softball Championship Host Website
NCAA Division III Softball Championship Bracket
NCAA Division III Softball Championship Program
NCAA Division III Softball Championship Media Guide
UW-Oshkosh NCAA Division III Softball Championship Media Guide
Photo by Ryan Hunt, Sideline Media Productions