Titans Open Season With Mixed Outcomes
Morgan Rau hit a go-ahead, run-scoring triple and Sydney Rau homered in the nightcap as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball team split a pair of nonconference games against Minnesota opponents to open the 2022 campaign Saturday (Feb. 26) in Mankato, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh (1-1), ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, defeated Gustavus Adolphus College, 5-2, after suffering a 1-0 setback versus College of Saint Benedict.
Hannah Ritter went 5-for-7 at the plate on the day, including 3-for-3 in the season opener, to pace the Titans. Ritter, a 2021 NFCA Third Team All-American, has now reached base safely in 33 consecutive games.
During the victory over Gustavus Adolphus College, UW-Oshkosh outhit the Gusties, 10-8, collecting three doubles, one triple and a home run.
Ana Iliopoulos gave the Titans a 1-0 lead with a single that plated Zoe Malone in the bottom of the third inning. After Gustavus Adolphus College knotted the score at 1 in the fourth frame, Morgan Rau smacked a triple to right-center field to score Grace Stevens during the home half of the inning. Sydney Rau then launched what turned out to be the game-winning home run – the first by a Titan this season and first of her career – to bring home her twin sister Morgan for a 4-1 UW-Oshkosh advantage.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Sydney Nemetz made the lead hold up in her collegiate debut. Nemetz scattered eight hits and a pair of walks in seven innings while stirking out five to pick up the complete game win. The Gusties had the potential tying run at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Nemetz got a groundout to thwart the threat.
Gustavus Adolphus College (0-2) and UW-Oshkosh went on to exchange runs in the fifth inning. Grace Stevens's single plated Abby Garceau to extend the Titans cushion to 5-2.
Iliopoulos, Malone, Ritter and Stevens each registered two hits for UW-Oshkosh.
Gusties leadoff hitter Madelyn Mueller was 4-for-4 and scored once.
Gustavus Adolphus College starting pitcher Payton Belt took the complete game loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks with one strikeout in six innings.
In the Titans season opener, College of Saint Benedict (2-0) produced the game's lone run on a Bryn Carlstrom double that plated Gabby Spencer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Maddie Fink worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the home half of the sixth frame by inducing a pair of groundouts and notching a strikeout to keep the game scoreless. However, the Bennies scratched across a run the following inning on Carlstrom's walk-off hit to left field that scored Spencer from first base.
College of Saint Benedict, the runner up a year ago in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, had eight hits while limiting UW-Oshkosh to four. The Titans, who finished fifth at last year's Division III World Series, are the defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season co-champions and league postseason winners.
Spencer and Jordyn Swoboda both had a pair of hits to pace the Bennies, who stranded five runners in scoring position.
Ritter had three of UW-Oshkosh's four hits.
Elly Novak earned the complete game victory in the College of Saint Benedict pitcher's circle, yielding four singles and striking out 11 without issuing a walk across seven innings.
Fink was charged with the loss after giving up eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Fink had also produced complete games in each of UW-Oshkosh's prior eight games dating back to its postseason run to the World Series last season.
UW-Oshkosh remains in Mankato to play another two Minnesota programs Sunday (Feb. 27), facing Hamline University before taking on host Bethany Lutheran College.