The UW Oshkosh softball team took both games in a doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire 6-1 and 10-4, respectively, to claim the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title May 4 at Bollinger Fields in Eau Claire.
The Titans (36-2,12-2), ranked No. 18 in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, held a one game lead over UW-Stevens Point in the WIAC standings entering Saturday and Oshkosh was able to claim its fifth conference championship with the sweep of the Blugolds (18-16, 7-7).
In the first contest, UWO’s Sydney Nemetz won her 16th game of the season after pitching all seven innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out three batters.
Offensively, catcher Sophie Wery led the Titans with a three-RBI performance and went 1-for-2 with a home run and a run scored. Shortstop Morgan Rau went 2-for-4 in game one with a home run, a single and a run scored.
The Titans opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Wery smashed a three-run homer that scored Sydney Rau and Abby Garceau. UWO opened up a 5-0 lead in the top of the third after Morgan Rau hit a two-run homer that scored Hannah Ritter.
The lone Blugold run in the first game came from Norah Kutnink, who hit a solo homer to cut the Oshkosh lead to 5-1.
The Titans tacked on another run in the top of the seventh inning when second baseman Haylie Wittman hit an RBI single to right field that scored Lizzie Slobodecki. UWO was able to close out the bottom of the seventh inning without any damage to win its 35th game of the year.
Abbi Freismuth started for the Titans in game two, going 2.1 innings and allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two batters. Brianna Bougie came in for 4.2 innings of relief, giving up one run on three hits.
Wery had another three-RBI performance in the second game, going 2-for-4 with a double, a single and a run scored. Ritter and Morgan Rau each had two-RBI games, with Ritter going 2-for-5 and Morgan Rau going 1-for-4.
The Titans struck first in the top of the third inning after Garceau hit an RBI single up the middle that scored Brianna Davis. Oshkosh tacked on another run later in the inning after Wery hit an RBI fielder’s choice and Garceau scored on a throwing error from Eau Claire’s shortstop.
Eau Claire responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead.
Oshkosh exploded for four runs in the top of the fifth when Ritter hit an RBI double to right field that scored Garceau and Wery hit an RBI single through the left side that scored Sydney Rau. Later in the inning, Morgan Rau doubled to left field, scoring Ritter and Wery scored on an error by the Eau Claire catcher after Cali Divito grounded into a fielder’s choice.
The Titans took a 7-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning when Oshkosh loaded the bases and the Blugolds walked Morgan Rau, scoring Sydney Rau from third base.
UWO gave up an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Titans scored three runs in the top of the seventh behind an RBI fielder’s choice from Sydney Rau, an RBI groundout from Ritter and an RBI double from Wery. Eau Claire went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as Oshkosh cruised to the six-run victory.
UWO will enter the WIAC Tournament (Presented by Culver’s) as the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will take on the winner of UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire at 2 p.m. at UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.
