The UW-Oshkosh Softball team wrapped a wacky week with a 3-2 record, earning themselves the outright WIAC championship for the second time in the past three seasons.
The Titans did it by sweeping UW-Stevens Point in the doubleheader on Thursday, April 30 that was postponed from the day before, along with splitting the doubleheader at UW-Platteville on May 2. UWO also had to finish the April 17 suspended game against UW-La Crosse in between both doubleheaders.
Head coach Scott Beyer credits the team’s determination for being in this position and that is something he is grateful for.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the team,” Beyer said. “If you would have told me we would be conference champs when we began the season, I would say you are crazy. We are not supposed to be in this position, but the grit and determination of this team has been unmatched.”
UWO started the week a day later than planned due to weather moving the UWSP series from April 29.
In game one of the series, UWO won 4-3 in 10 innings with a walkoff RBI single from Maddie Crick. It was a game where it was back and forth with both teams having a response until time ran out.
UWO scored first with a sacrifice fly from Mary Kate Quaid in the third inning, followed by a Pointer home run in the fourth to make it 1-1. Then in the sixth, both teams put together respective two-run innings to tie it at 3-3, until Crick’s walkoff at the end.
In the final game of the series, it was highlighted by Grace Nardi’s second straight no-hitter for the Titans. Nardi went all seven, allowing only three walks with six strikeouts. All the offense needed to give her in return was a four-run third inning to complete the win 4-0 and the sweep over the Pointers.
In the suspended game versus UWL, going into the second half down 4-0. There was not much the Titans could do. The closest UWO got to chipping into the Eagle lead was in the fifth inning when singles from Olivia Baugnet and Brianne Lopez gave the Titans runners on first and second with only one out. Unfortunately for UWO, the next two batters followed with ground outs to end the inning. UWL was able to tally one more run to win the game 5-0.
With these two games being postponed, Beyer admits that it was just another challenge that was added onto a season that weather affected heavily. But he also knows that it’s the team’s moxy that got them through it.
“Our culture helped carry us through those tough times for sure,” Beyer said. “We are in good physical shape all year, and then adding a lot of mental toughness with playing a tough schedule early on helped us navigate through.”
After Nardi completed her second straight no-hitter in the UWSP game, Beyer recognized how she has been working and is happy with how she’s been progressing.
“She has been hitting her spots and using her movement and offspeed pitches at a high level this whole back half of the season,” Beyer said. “I’m really proud of her mental state and she is throwing with a lot of confidence and it really showed.”
UWO wrapped the week and regular season with a doubleheader at Platteville. The Pioneers took the first game 3-1 behind a one run five hit effort from the UWP pitching trio of Avery Lundblad, Payton Gille and Nora Buske.
UWO pitcher Kiran Sanford took the loss despite only allowing two runs on three hits while striking out four. The Titans took the finale 4-2 to clinch the outright WIAC regular season title. Like in the first game of the week, Crick once again was the hero in the final game of the week and season. Her single in the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie and scored both runners to give the Titans the lead and the win.
Now the Titans move forward to defending their 2025 WIAC Tournament Championship as UWO will host the 2026 Tournament this weekend on May 8 and 9.
The Titans will play the winner of No. 5 UWSP and No. 4 UW-Eau Claire at noon on Saturday (May 9). And if UWO wins, they will then play in the WIAC Tournament championship game later that day at 4 p.m. against the winner of UWP and UWL or UW-Whitewater.
Beyer thinks that an advantage the team will have is their youth will help them in tournament time for both the WIAC and NCAA.
“We are a young team, naive at times and I think that helps us not feel the pressure of having to win,” he said. “We know what we are capable of, but this team doesn’t play with that pressure on their back.”
