La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team opened Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play dropping both games of a doubleheader, 5-1 and 8-0 (six innings) with 20th-ranked UW-Oshkosh Friday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Eagles fall to 14-9 overall and 0-2 in the conference while the Titans improve to 21-1 overall and 2-0 in the league.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 20th on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll, scored five unearned runs in the top of the third in Friday's opener. Hannah Ritter reached on a UWL fielding error with two outs and Abby Garceau, who reached on a fielder's choice. advanced to second. After Sophie Wery walked to load the bases, Morgan Rau delivered an infield single to score Garceau with the first run. Gabby Buikema followed with a two-run single knocking in Ritter and Wery for a 3-0 lead. Zoe Malone's single loaded the bases and Brianna Davis' two-run single scored Rau and Buiekema.
UWL recorded its first hit in the bottom of the fourth off UW-Oshkosh's Maddie Fink.
Jordyn McCormack singled to start the inning and stole second after
Marissa Pease struck out.
Anna Jensen walked to put runners on first and second and
Madi O'Brien's singled to score McCormack to cut the lead to 5-1.
McCormack, Pease,
Abbey Bosch and
Madi O'Brien had a hit for the Eagles.
Elise Weinzierl (6-5) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, five runs (none unearned) and two walks while striking out two.
Remington Stark went 4.1 innings in relief, allowing two hits with six strikeouts.
Fink (9-1) earned the complete-game victory in the opener, going 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and four walks with three strikeouts. UW-Oshkosh finished with seven hits as Garceau went 2-for-4 with one run. Buikema and Davis each had two RBI.
In the nightcap, the Titans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Ritter singled and scored on Wery's two-run home run. UW-Oshkosh added to the lead in the top of the second. Davis singled and went to third on Ana Iliopoulos sacrifice bunt. She then scored on Garceau's groundout to make it 3-0.
Zoe Malone's RBI double in the top of third scored Wery for a 4-0 lead. The Titans added a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Lizzie Slobodecki scoring on an Eagles' throwing error and Haylie Wittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Wery. Buikema added a two-run single in the sixth.
UWL got two-out singles from Bosch and
Kyra Lard in the bottom of the sixth, but both runners were stranded.
Bosch went 2-for-3 for the Eagles while Lard 1-for-3.
Ally Eden (5-3) took the loss for UWL, going 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits and six runs with one strikeout.
Sydney Nemetz (11-0) picked up the complete-game shutout for UW-Oshkosh in Friday's nightcap, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits while striking out six. The Titans had 13 hits with Wery going 4-for-4 with four runs and two RBI. Buikema went 3-for-3 with two RBI while Ritter went 2-for-4 with two runs. Malone finished 2-for-2 with an RBI.
UWL returns to action Wednesday, April 12 hosting MSOE (Wis.) at 2 p.m.
