UW-Oshkosh (11-18, 7-11 WIAC) lost three out of four games against UW-River Falls (17-12, 10-8 WIAC) on April 18 and 19 on the road at First National Bank of River Falls Field.
The Titans took the first game 5-4 behind a 12-hit effort from the offense. Trevor Morris doubled in the top of the first to score Logan Schill. Morris would score on an error after Brenden Max hit the ball to third with two outs. In the second inning, Cullen Kirchberg doubled to right-center, scoring on an Owen Housinger single up the middle to make it 2-0.
After allowing two runs to River Falls in the fifth, Oshkosh matched them in the top of the seventh. Housinger doubled, Logan Schill grounded out, which allowed Housinger to advance to third, Morris walked, Bryaydon Skenandore singled in Housinger. Aaron Davis walked with two outs, and Danny Connelly got hit by a pitch, allowing Morris to score. Oshkosh pitching allowed two runs in the bottom of the frame, but that would end the scoring, allowing UWO to prevail.
Brett Gaynor took the bump, going six deep, allowing three hits, two unearned runs, eight strikeouts, and two walks to collect his second win of the season. Colton Kachinsky allowed two earned runs without recording an out, and Ethan Wick also didn’t record an out. Ben Beuhring came into the game and recorded a three-inning save. He dominated with five punchouts and allowed no hits, runs or walks.
The second game of the doubleheader ended with Oshkosh being mercy-ruled 18-8 in seven innings, never able to recover after allowing 15 runs after three innings.
Josh Jansen took his fifth loss of the season, after going one and a third innings, allowing six runs, four of them were earned, on four hits, two strikeouts and three walks. Weston Poth came in and recorded one out, allowing three earned runs on three hits, one walk, and one strikeout. Joe Rochardson got two outs, but not before allowing four runs, three of them earned, on three hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Michael Hughe, Parker Thompson and Levi Fey finished the game, allowing five runs in four innings. The defense’s making three errors allowed the first few innings to snowball out of hand.
Offensively, the Titans put up 11 hits, highlighted by three home runs. Housinger’s and Gavin Persson’s were solo shots, while Jack McKellips hit a two-run dinger that scored Ben Volpe. In the seventh, the Titans hit three doubles to score four runs in an attempted comeback. David Wicks doubled in Cash Kaczmarek, Volpe doubled in Wick and Tim Witchger, then McKellips doubled in Volpe.
On Sunday the Titans lost the noon game convincingly by a final score of 8-2. Oshkosh gave up three runs early, but the nail in the coffin was the seventh inning, which plated four River Fall batters.
UWO scored two runs in the top of the eighth, Morris and Skenandore got hit by pitches, Max single to the center field scored Morris and Kirchberg fielder choice allowed Skenandore to score. Oshkosh had six hits led by Schill who had two, Skenandore, Max, Davis and Kirchberg each had one a piece.
Connor Walters took the lose providing six innings, six hits, seven runs, six of them earned, walking two, and striking out seven. Benke Hencke went two innings, allowed three hits, one earned run, walked one, and struckout four. The Titans made two costly errors, most notably a Davis fielding error in the eight with two outs that allowed a run to score.
The Titans get swept by River Falls on the day after losing eight-to-four in the afternoon game. Oshkosh fell in a three run hole in the fourth inning, but UWO responded in the fifth. Davis, Kirchberg and Connelly loaded the bases with three straight singles, scoring one run on a Persson walk.
The following inning Morris and Skenandore singled, Max sac-bunt moved the runners over, Morris scored on a balk, Davis walked, then Kirchberg sac-bunt scored Skenandore to tie the game. The Titans gave up five runs in the seventh inning that put the game out of reach. The scoring ended when Oshkosh’s Connelly hit a sac-fly to score Max.
Baris Brua pitched six inning, allowed three hits, seven runs, four of them earned, walked three and struck out two. Ryan Richter finished the game allowing two hits, one unearned run, walking one, striking out none.
Oshkosh played a doubleheader against UW-Whitewater starting on Wednesday, April 22 at Tiedemann Field at Alumni Stadium. The score of the game can be found online.
