The UW-Oshkosh softball team, ranked No. 16 in the nation, played two doubleheaders against Lakeland University and Eau Claire this past week, pulling out two wins after an excellent pair of starts from Kiran Sanford to help the squad to a 18-5-1 record.
The Titans played a doubleheader against Lakeland (10-9), winning 4-3 and tying 3-3 due to darkness at the Mary Beth Nienhaus Softball Complex in Oshkosh on April 8.
The Titans jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring a run in both the third and fifth innings. Mary Kate Quaid hit into a fielder’s choice that led to an error, allowing Olivia Ullman to score. Quaid singled down the right field line, scoring Ullman again in the fifth. Everything unraveled in the top of the seventh when the Muskies rallied for three runs off two run-scoring singles. The Titans responded immediately — it was the Quaid show. Her double propelled Oshkosh to victory, scoring Emma Bohm and Ullman for the third time in the game to walk it off.
UWO produced seven hits, drew five walks, and struck out an astonishing zero times. Oshkosh had two multi-hit games: Quaid collected three hits and Ullman produced two, while Brianne Lopez and Haylie Wittman each picked up one hit.
Sanford pitched deep into the game, going six innings, while allowing seven hits, three earned runs, five strikeouts, and no free passes. Grace Nardi improved to 5-0 after coming into the game for one inning of work, allowing one hit while striking out two. Defensively, the Titans played a clean game, making no errors and taking advantage of the two Lakeland made.
In the evening game, Lopez tripled in Olivia Baugnet in the third. Later in the fifth, Morgan Miller scored off a Lopez base hit. Bohm singled in Lopez to hand Oshkosh a 3-0 lead after five innings. Lakeland quickly tied the game in the sixth after hitting a three-run homer, which would end the scoring on the night, with both teams trading zeros to finish the game.
Oshkosh had eight hits in the game. Baugnet had three and Lopez had two, while Quaid, Selzer, and Bohm each had one. Brianna Bougie took the bump, providing 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs, one walk and recording five strikeouts. Nardi pitched again, going 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out two to give the offense a chance to win it.
Oshkosh split a doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire (21-5), winning the first game 6-0, then falling in the evening game 3-0 at Bollinger Fields in Eau Claire on April 11.
The Titans were on cruise control in the afternoon game after jumping to a five-run lead through three innings. Amanda Martineck hit a two-run homer that scored Ullman in the first to start the scoring. In the third, UWO played small ball with a run-scoring single from Sarah Hammerton to plate Ullman. Kelly Selzer scored Martineck on a groundout, and Wittman singled in Hammerton.
Oshkosh’s bats produced 13 hits, including five players with multi-hit games. Ullman and Martineck had three hits each, Quaid, Hammerton, and Wittman had two, and Baugnet had one.
Sanford picked up her 10th win with a seven-inning complete game, giving up only four hits and two walks while striking out four and allowing zero runs.
In the nightcap, the Titans’ bats went silent, mustering three hits and five walks. Lopez, Skyler Calmes, and Selzer provided the only hits in the game.
Nardi was on the hill, throwing 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out two. Bougie pitched a clean 2/3 of an inning.
Oshkosh will be back in action with a doubleheader against UW-River Falls on April 18.
