Titans Win Five-Inning Contests Over Sabres
The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball team collected 25 hits, including 10 for extra bases, on the way to earning a pair of 10-2, five-inning victories over Marian University on Wednesday (April 6) at UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex Field.
UW-Oshkosh (14-4), ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, pounded out nine doubles and a home run to defeat Marian University for the 16th time in the past 17 meetings. Both games Wednesday were halted in the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule.
The Titans, winners of 10 of their last 11 games, hit a combined .490 Wednesday, reached base at a .519 clip and produced a .726 slugging percentage. UW-Oshkosh, which has scored at least 10 runs in each of its last four games, matched a season high with 13 hits during the nightcap. The Titans scored in seven of their nine offensive innings versus Marian University, scoring four times with two outs during the opener and nine two-out runs in the nightcap.
Eight different Titans drove in runs Wednesday as Abby Garceau, Brianna Davis, Hannah Ritter and Sophie Wery each had a team-leading three runs batted in. Grace Stevens, Sydney Rau and Ana Iliopoulos all had two RBIs for UW-Oshkosh while Emily Cliver drove in one.
Iliopoulos, Ritter and Zoe Malone scored three runs apiece during the nonconference doubleheader against the Sabres. Stevens blasted a two-run homer – her first this season and second career – in the nightcap.
Davis, who went into the day 14th in the country in batting average, is now hitting .500 this season. Ritter, a 2021 NFCA Third Team All-American, took over the team lead with a .526 batting average and Garceau is now batting .480 on the year. Ritter had another pair of multiple-hit efforts Wednesday to extend her on-base streak to 49 consecutive games.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitchers Maddie Fink and Sydney Nemetz took full advantage of the run support, striking out five batters and allowing five hits apiece en route to earning complete game wins.
In the first game of a chilly and overcast day, UW-Oshkosh made up for a scoreless first inning by tallying three runs in the second frame, two in the third and one in the fourth before walking off with the win by scoring four runs in the home half of the fifth.
Iliopoulos got the Titans on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out single that scored Stevens. Garceau followed two batters later with a single of her own to score both Iliopoulos and Malone.
Rau laced a two-run double that brought home Ritter and Wery for a 5-0 UW-Oshkosh lead in the third inning, and Malone crossed the plate following an error to build the Titans' advantage back to 6-1 after four frames.
Marian University (6-9) pulled within 6-2 with a run in the top of the fifth inning, but UW-Oshkosh invoked the eight-run rule during the bottom of the frame after scoring four runs on five hits.
Stevens led off the UW-Oshkosh fifth inning with a single before being lifted for pinch-runner Lizzie Slobodecki, who advanced to third base following a Rau single and subsequent Marian University throwing error. Rau then stole second base to put two runners in scoring position for Cliver, who reached safely on a bunt that scored Slobodecki.
Iliopoulos continued the rally with a single that allowed Rau to score for an 8-2 UW-Oshkosh lead. Malone singled to load the bases and, after an out at the plate, Davis' double drove in Iliopoulos and Malone to provide the game's final score.
Fink, the reigning Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, improved her season record to 6-3. Fink's six complete games lead the WIAC this season while her six victories are tied for second in the league.
Garceau, Davis, Rau and Iliopoulos each drove in a pair of runs. Ritter, Stevens, Rau, Iliopoulos and Malone all accounted for two of the team's 12 hits. Malone, who scored three times, along with Garceau and Rau each recorded stolen bases.
Marian University starting pitcher Emalee Depa (4-4) suffered the loss, yielding 10 runs (nine earned) on 10 hits in four innings.
Leadoff hitter Katelyn Matenaer went 2-for-3 while Depa and Karena Wood had RBIs for Marian University.
During the second contest, UW-Oshkosh roared back from a 2-0 deficit with 10 unanswered runs, including its final nine after two outs.
Matenaer hit a home run to lead off the game, and Melanie Weigel drove in a run with a single to give Marian University its 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.
The Titans began their comeback with a run in the bottom of the first inning on a Ritter RBI single that scored Garceau, who singled to start the frame. UW-Oshkosh then took the lead for good with five runs during the second inning despite starting the frame with the bases empty and two outs.
Iliopoulos sparked UW-Oshkosh's sustained two-out outburst with a single. Gabby Buikema, Garceau and Davis followed with singles of their own, and Ritter and Wery smacked back-to-back doubles to cap the string of six consecutive two-out hits.
The Titans later upped their lead to 10-2 in the fourth inning with four more runs after two outs. With Buikema at second base with two outs following a leadoff single and a pair of groundouts, Ritter doubled home Buikema, Wery doubled to score Ritter and Stevens clubbed a two-run homer over the left field fence to provide the final score.
Nemetz, who upped her season record to 5-0, then struck out the side in the top of the fifth frame to clinch the victory in five innings and notch her fourth complete game of the year.
Ritter went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Wery also doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Titans.
Rau added a double for UW-Oshkosh, which also received two hits apiece from Buikema and Garceau.
Matenaer and Alivia Ernst both had two hits for the Sabres.
Marian University starting pitcher Taylor Towry (0-3) was charged with the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in 1.2 innings.
UW-Oshkosh continues its 10-game homestand with a WIAC-opening doubleheader against UW-Stout on Saturday (April 9) at UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex Field.