The No. 23 nationally ranked UW Oshkosh softball team remained undefeated with wins at Marian University and against UW-La Crosse at the UWO Softball Park last week.
In the doubleheader at Marian University on April 10, UWO won game one 3-1. The Titans were able to win behind Abby Freismuth’s fifth complete game of the season as she allowed only one run on five hits.
Head coach Scott Beyer said he liked how Freismuth took over the game.
“[Freismuth] has been very consistent this year,” he said. “With our other number one pitcher resting versus Marian, we needed her to step up and she did a great job taking over the game.”
Freismuth’s complete game also helped the Titans pitching in the second game as UWO won 7-0. The Titan offense struck early in the second game with an RBI sacrifice fly from Sophie Wery and an RBI single from Haylie Wittman in the first.
The Titans had another multi-run inning in the fourth with three runs scored with an RBI double from Brianna Davis, RBI single from Sydney Rau and a fielder’s choice from Hannah Ritter. The Titans capped the scoring in game two with the first collegiate home run from Sarah Hammerton.
In the doubleheader against UW-La Crosse, the Titans were able to win both games despite a tough challenge from the Eagles. UWL jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first four innings thanks to a three-run first inning.
The Titans were able to keep themselves in the game thanks to a three-run inning of their own in the fifth inning. Wery started the scoring for the Titans with a groundout that scored Hammerton, later in the inning a two-run home run from Wittman got the score to 4-3. Wittman then drove in the tying run in the seventh inning with an RBI single. Then with bases loaded and one out, Zoe Malone came up with the walkoff fielder’s choice as the Titans won 5-4 after Wittman scored on a throwing error. In the win, Beyer credited the experience of the team.
“There is no doubt our veteran leadership had to do with the way we went about our business,” Beyer said. “We didn’t flinch when we were thrown into adversity, and that is our experience coming through.”
Then in game two, UWO won in almost the exact opposite way that they won game one. The Titans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth with back-to-back home runs from Wittman and Wery. After a big rally from the Eagles, UWO was able to hold on with a 6-5 win as the Titans stranded the tying run on third.
The biggest moment from the doubleheader was what Hannah Ritter accomplished in game one, Ritter became the all-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference hits leader with her 5-for-5 performance during game one. Not only was Beyer proud of her, he was also happy for her that she accomplished it at home.
“That was awesome to have her get that record at home. It was also a relief for her,” Beyer said. “As much as you don’t want to think about those types of things, you do, and I am very proud of her for just going out and playing ball.”
Beyer also said that it is a “record that will be hard to break in the future and one heck of an accomplishment.”
The Titans played a doubleheader against the Milwaukee School of Engineering Tuesday and won both games 2-0 and 4-0.
Yesterday, UWO played a doubleheader against UW-Whitewater. Check the UWO athletics site for results.
On April 20, the Titans will host UW-River Falls in a doubleheader on Alumni Day. First pitch for the games against the Falcons will be at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
