The UW Oshkosh baseball team has won one of its last four games to bring its record to 8-7 with one non-conference game remaining before they begin Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
Over the last weekend, the Titans played a pair of doubleheaders where they went 1-3.
First doubleheader
On Saturday in Duluth, Minn. they lost both games in their first matchup against The College of St. Scholastica by scores of 4-5 and 3-4.
On Sunday, Oshkosh managed to split its pair of games against the St. Mary’s University Cardinals, losing its first matchup 1-4 and winning the second game 8-3.
Titans head coach Kevin Tomasiewicz said the difference between Saturday and Sunday was hitting.
“Offensively, we did not hit very well against St. Scholastica, but we still had chances to win,” Tomasiewicz said. “[It’s disappointing to lose both those games, but we had some good things from a pitching side of it.”
Tomasiewicz said Sunday was a much better all-around performance from the team.
“Sunday, we played fairly well in both games,” Tomasiewicz said. “Offensively, I thought we hit very well. We played a seven-inning game and ran out of time in the first game, and then the second game the bats came alive, we got into their bullpen and ended up playing to our capabilities in the second game.”
Eighth season win
In the Titans’ one win over their weekend trip to Minnesota, they managed to outhit St. Mary’s 15-7.
In their victory, the Titans had a 1-0 lead over St. Mary’s through the bottom of the fourth due to a double from junior centerfielder Taylor Grimm that scored junior first baseman Andy Brahier.
UWO junior starting pitcher Jesse Sustachek did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth when the Cardinals’ senior outfielder Ben Buerkle hit a two-run homer off Brahier that gave St. Mary’s the 2-1 lead.
The Titans retook their lead in the top of the seventh inning where three hits led to three runs after a single from senior outfielder Johnny Eagan scored sophomore infielder Zack Radde. An error from the Cardinals at third base scored senior infielder Tyler Kozlowski and a single from Brahier scored Eagan to put the Titans up 4-2.
The Cardinals went scoreless in the bottom of the seventh and at the top of the eighth, the Titans extended their lead to 8-2.
With the bases loaded and one out, Titans’ sophomore outfielder Sam Schwenn singled and scored Grimm.
Kozlowski got out with a sac-fly, but scored Radde. Eagan was next to bat and hit a single that advanced Schwenn to second who then managed to make it to third off an error by the Cardinals infield that also put Eagan on second.
Next to bat for the Titans was junior outfielder Logan Reckert who hit a single that brought in both Schwenn and Eagan.
The Cardinals scored one more run in the bottom of the eighth, but it was not nearly enough to pass the Titans as the game came to an end with the Titans on top 8-3.
Tomasiewicz said with conference play beginning this weekend, the team has to carry their momentum from their victory against the Cardinals.
“When we got on the bus to come home I told them that I was proud of the way they came back the last game and I expect that type of attitude as we go forth starting the conference on Saturday,” Tomasiewicz said.
Extra innings loss
Another notable game over the weekend for the Titans was on Saturday against St. Scholastica in game one that went 10 innings and resulted in a 4-5 loss.
The Titans had a 1-0 lead through four innings after a sacrifice-fly from Eagan scored junior shortstop Jack Paulson in the top of the first inning.
In the top of the fifth Oshkosh scored one run off a double from Grimm that scored Brahier, but St. Scholastica managed to score four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-4 lead.
Both teams went scoreless the following three innings until the top of the ninth where the Titans scored the two runs they needed to tie the game.
A single from Brahier scored Eagan and a sacrifice bunt from sophomore outfielder Dylan Ott scored Kozlowski to tie the game 4-4.
After a quick three outs for the Titans in the bottom of the ninth, the game went into an extra inning where the Titans did not score or get a hit while St. Scholastica managed to bring in one run to end the game 4-5.
Sustachek said the close losses over the weekend are games the team needs to find ways to win, much like they did in their victory against the Cardinals.
“We need to learn how to win those close games against good teams,” Sustachek said. “In the last game, it seemed like we were playing like ourselves again. It was a good way to end the trip, and hopefully, we can keep it going into conference play.”
Kozlowski said going into WIAC play is no easy task, but, when the team plays to their full potential, they can beat anyone.
“We know if we play our game we can beat anyone in this conference,” Kozlowski said. “We have yet to put everything together, so there is still a lot of room for improvement. We need to start to get on a roll this weekend against Point and continue to build off it in the weeks to come.”
Looking Ahead
The Titans have one more nonconference game against Concordia University Wisconsin on Thursday April 6 in Mequon before they begin WIAC play on Saturday and Sunday against the UW-Stevens Point Pointers in a four game series beginning on April 8-9.
