The No. 11 nationally ranked UW Oshkosh softball team split its doubleheaders against No. 20 UW-Whitewater and UW-River Falls over the past week.
UWO hosted its first doubleheader of the week against the Warhawks April 16. The first game of the doubleheader was a pitchers duel.
UWW started the game with a bunt single from Warhawk center fielder Bella Eggert. After a fielder’s choice and another single, Eggert was able to score off of a double steal when UWO catcher Sophie Wery threw down to second base, allowing Eggert to score from third. That would be the lone run of the contest as UWO fell 1-0.
Oshkosh was not able to figure out Warhawks pitcher Josie Hammen. Hammen pitched all seven innings, striking out four while allowing five hits. In the Titans’ biggest threat of the game, which came in the fifth inning after a double from Cali Divito and Haylie Wittman reaching on a hit by pitch, Hammen was able to get out of the inning unscathed by stranding Divito and Wittman on base. Despite taking the loss, pitcher Sydney Nemetz also went all seven innings, allowing six hits and striking out three.
Game two of the doubleheader went much better for the Titans, who beat the Warhawks 9-1 in six innings. UWO was able to crack the scoring for the first time in the doubleheader with an Abby Garceau single that Sarah Hammerton scored on for UWO to go up 1-0. After UWW was able to tie it at 1-1 with the help of a throwing error, the Titans were able to immediately respond in the bottom of the third.
With two outs, Morgan Rau reached on a fielder’s choice that Wittman was able to score on to reclaim a 2-1 lead. The Titans were able to extend the lead to 3-1 next inning due to a sacrifice fly from Amanda Martinek that Sydney Rau scored on. The Titans were able to do all its damage in the sixth inning. After a Wery double extended the lead to 5-1, a single from Sydney Rau was able to bring home Wery and Wittman for the Titans to go up 7-1. Needing only two runs to end the game an inning early, UWO was able to get those runs behind a Martinek single and a fielding error that Hammerton reached on.
Grace Nardi recorded the win for the Titans, pitching four innings while striking out two and allowing only one run on two hits. Brianna Bougie recorded her fifth save of the season for the Titans, pitching two innings while striking out two and allowing no hits.
UWO shifted its attention to the weekend where they traveled to River Falls to face off against the Falcons on April 19, splitting its doubleheader.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Titans scored both of its runs in the first two innings behind a single from Sydney Rau that scored Divito and a single from Garceau in the second that scored Hammerton to go up 2-0. Despite not being able to get any more runs across, the Titans were able to cruise to the end to win game one 2-0. This was due to another complete game from Nemetz where this time she was able to go all seven innings while allowing no runs.
The second game of the doubleheader got off to a good start for UWO. Hammerton put the Titans up 1-0 to start the game with a sacrifice bunt that scored Garceau and Sydney Rau scored on a passed ball from a walk that her sister Morgan Rau took for UWO to go up 2-0 in the first. UWO put another run across in the fifth with a single from Ullman that Divito was able to score on to go up 3-0. Unfortunately for the Titans, UWRF was able to put up a big sixth inning to get right back in the game. With the bases loaded, the Falcons put two across due to a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single to make it 3-2. Then in the seventh, again with the bases loaded, the Falcons tied it at 3-3 with a single then UWRF walked it off with a sacrifice fly to win 4-3.
The Titans (26-4) continue its stretch of road games this week. UWO will travel to Stevens Point to play the No. 21 Pointers in a doubleheader April 23. The results of the UWO’s doubleheader against the Pointers can be found at uwoshkoshtitans.com
Oshkosh will then travel to Plymouth to face off against Lakeland University in a doubleheader the next day on April 24 at 3 p.m. UWO will wrap up its road trip in Menomonie on Saturday where the Titans will play UW-Stout in a doubleheader at 2 p.m.
