La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team opened Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play with a doubleheader loss to nationally-ranked UW-Oshkosh Saturday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Titans earned an 8-2 win in the opener and 5-1 in the nightcap.
UWL drops to 15-13 overall and 0-2 in the WIAC while UW-Oshkosh improves to 24-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Carly Gross went 2-for-3 in the opener.
UW-Oshkosh is ranked 11th on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll.
UW-Oshkosh took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Sarah Hammerton singled with one out and went to second on Amanda Martineck's two-out single. Cali Divito followed with an RBI single to score Hammerton with the game's first run.
The Titans extended their lead to 5-0 with four runs on five hits in the top of the fourth. Lizzie Slobodecki came in on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Martineck's second run-scoring single knocked in Hammerton for a 3-0 lead. After a UWL pitching change, UW-Oshkosh took a 4-0 lead as Haylie Wittman scored on Divito's RBI groundout. Abby Garceau followed with an RBI single to score Martineck for a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Titans scored an unearned run to make it 6-0. The Eagles had three errors in the inning. Hammerton scored as Divito reached on a UWL throwing error. UW-Oshkosh added to its lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. Morgan Rau walked to lead-off the inning and scored as Mary Kate Quaid singled and went to third on a UWL error. Wittman's two-out infield single knocked in Quaid for an 8-0 lead.
UWL got on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Maddy Bornbach singled to start the inning followed a
Lindsay Steien double. After a pitching change,
Josie Flom's pinch-hit single scored Bornbach. Steien then scored on an
Amber Gonzalez groundout to make it 8-2.
Madi Lee (3-3) suffered the loss in the opener, pitching 3.0 innings. She allowed five hits, five runs and three walks while striking out two.
Kaeley Niemiec went 2.0 innings, allowing four hits and one run (unearned) with three strikeouts while
Brynne Bieri pitched 2.0 innings. She allowed four hits, two runs (one earned) with one walk and one strikeout.
Abbey Bosch had an RBI in the nightcap.
UWL finished with eight hits as Bornbach went 3-for-4 and
Carly Gross 2-for-3.
Sydney Niemitz (10-1) earned the win for UW-Oshkosh, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, two runs and three walks with eight strikeouts. Brianna Bougie went 2.0 innings. She allowed three hits and one walk while striking out two.
The Titans totaled 13 hits with Hammerton and Martineck each going 3-for-4. Hammerton scored three runs.
In the nightcap, UWL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Brooke Howard tripled to lead-off the game and scored on Bosch's one-out single.
The game remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth when UW-Oshkosh scored all five of its runs. Sydney Rau walked with one out and Morgan Rau was hit-by-pitch. Hammerton's single loaded the bases. Sophie Wery followed with a two-run double down the left field line to give the Titans a 2-1 advantage. Quaid and Divito each drove in a run with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1 and Martineck's RBI double knocked in Divito for a 5-1 lead.
Carmen Follette (2-5) suffered the loss in the second game for UWL, pitching a complete-game. She went 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, five runs and one walk with one strikeout.
Carmen Follette pitched a complete-game Saturday.
UWL had five hits in the nightcap with Howard going 2-for-4 with one run.
Bougie (6-0) picked up the win for UW-Oshkosh, going 3.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. Grace Nardi started, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and three walks with four strikeouts.
UW-Oshkosh finished with six hits. Morgan Rau went 2-for-2 while Martineck finished 2-for-3.
UWL returns to action Wednesday, April 16 at UW-Eau Claire at 3 p.m.
