The UW Oshkosh softball team opened its season by taking both games of a doubleheader against Lakeland University 2-1 and 5-4, respectively, at the UWO Rec Plex Feb. 25.

UWO starting pitchers Maddie Fink and Sydney Nemetz combined to throw 10 innings, allowing no runs and striking out nine batters.

In the first game, catcher Sophie Wery hit a ground-rule double and Morgan Rau drove her in to give the Titans a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The game was scoreless for three innings before Wery smoked a home run to left field to give UWO a two-run advantage. Lakeland loaded the bases and scored a run in the final inning, but it was not enough and Oshkosh claimed its first win of the season.

Fink pitched five innings, allowing no runs, four hits and struck out four batters to get the win. Abby Freismuth came in as a relief pitcher for the final two innings, giving up one run on one hit and striking out three batters. Wery finished the game 2-for-2, hitting a home run and a double while scoring two runs.

UWO got off to a fast start in the second game of the doubleheader, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Hanna Ritter drove in Abby Garceau from second base with a single. The Titans added two more runs in the third inning when Wery hit a double to drive in Ana Iliopoulos and Garceau. Garceau hit a triple in the fifth inning, scoring Zoe Malone and Ritter as Oshkosh’s lead grew to 5-0. UWO held the Muskies scoreless until the top of the seventh inning, when Lakeland’s August drove in two runners. Lakeland scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after an Oshkosh error and a Madi Johnson single, but Oshkosh hung on for the win.

Nementz went five innings, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out five batters to record her first win of the season. Kylie Ryan pitched in relief, allowing four runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. For the final out, UWO brought in Freismuth to secure the victory. Garceau had three of UWO’s seven hits in the game, scoring two runs and hitting a triple. Ritter finished the game 2-for-3 with three singles and a run.

The Titans will take on UW-Superior and Lawrence University March 4 at the UWO Rec Plex in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.