Titans Conclude NCAA Postseason Run With Fifth-Place Finish
The UW-Oshkosh softball team's history making postseason run came to an end with a 2-1 setback to Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) at the NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday (May 29) in Salem, Va.
UW-Oshkosh (29-13), which earned its first World Series win in program history Friday (May 28), finished tied for fifth in the nation by going 1-2 in its second trip to the final tournament.
Birmingham-Southern College (33-7), seeded third at the World Series, held a 2-0 lead after scoring single runs in the first and fourth innings. The eighth-seeded Titans cut their deficit to 2-1 via an unearned run during the home half of the fourth frame, but stranded a pair of baserunners in the sixth inning and went down in order during the fifth and seventh.
UW-Oshkosh, the Eau Claire Regional champion, was eliminated from the tournament with the loss. The Titans were the regular season co-champions in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the league's automatic qualifier into the 48-team Division III Championship for winning the WIAC Championship. The regular season conference championship was UW-Oshkosh's fourth and first since 2007 while the WIAC postseason title was its second and first since 2008.
Birmingham-Southern College, the Southern Athletic Association tournament champion, advances to play Sunday (May 30) in the national semifinals. The Panthers, ranked fifth in the country by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, were sent to the elimination bracket following a 12-1, five-inning setback earlier Saturday to second-seeded Virginia Wesleyan University (43-5-1). The Division III Championship concludes with a best-of-three series Monday and Tuesday (May 31-June 1).
The Panthers scored in the opening inning as leadoff hitter Morgan McGuire reached first base on a rare occurrence – by striking Titans catcher Hannah Ritter's shoulder flush on a swing – then went to second base on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on a Saydee Keith single.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Maddie Fink worked around a leadoff walk in the second inning and a one-out single during the third frame but could not escape the fourth unscathed. A leadoff hit and a two-out single in the fourth inning preceded a walk to load the bases for McGuire, who delivered a single through the right side to extend the Birmingham-Southern College advantage to 2-0.
Panthers starting pitcher Hailee Bryan yielded a pair of singles in the first inning but kept the Titans scoreless through three frames, retiring nine consecutive UW-Oshkosh batters until Gabby Buikema lifted a double to right field with two outs during the home half of the fourth. After Buikema slid in safely to second base, Panthers right fielder Annie Clayton's throw was off the mark, allowing Buikema to round the bases to cut the Titans' deficit to 2-1.
Fink set down 10 of the final 11 Panther batters, yielding just a one-out single in the seventh inning after Birmingham-Southern College scored during the fourth frame.
UW-Oshkosh had two runners aboard in the bottom of the sixth inning on a one-out single from Ritter and a Morgan Rau walk. However, Bryan got a foul out and a lineout to end the sixth frame on the way to retiring the last five UW-Oshkosh batters.
Bryan (16-4) picked up the complete-game win, allowing an unearned on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in seven innings.
Fink (21-5) was charged with the loss after yielding two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in seven innings. The complete game was the 20th of the season for Fink, who concluded the year tied for second in program history in wins.
Ritter, an NFCA Third Team All-American, accounted for two of UW-Oshkosh's four hits. Buikema and Natalie Dudek both added hits for the Titans. Ritter capped her freshman campaign with a a school record 67 hits and a .469 batting average, which ranks fourth in program history. Ritter reached base safely in each of the Titans' final 31 games.
McGuire went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one run batted in to pace the Panthers.
The Titans, who concluded the season ranked second in WIAC history with a program-record .977 fielding percentage, made their only previous World Series appearance in 1988 (sixth place). UW-Oshkosh played its first season of softball in 1971.
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 Keith Lucas, Sideline Media Productions