UW-Oshkosh pitching didn't allow a run in 17-of-18 innings as it split a baseball doubleheader with UW-Platteville on Saturday (April 2) in Platteville. The contests were the first of WIAC play for both teams.
Trevor Kattre delivered a two-run, ninth-inning single to give the Pioneers a stunning 3-2 victory in the opener. Phil Schreiber (Jr. • Kaukauna) struck out nine while allowing just five hits in UW-Oshkosh's 5-0 nightcap triumph.
Singles from Jake Dostalek (Fr. • Waterford) and Doug Beattie (So. • Escanaba, Mich.) started the Titans' (10-2/1-1 WIAC) threat in the second inning of game one. Following an error, Nolan Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) drove home Dostalek with a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
UW-Platteville (2-10/1-1 WIAC) put the winning run on base during the eighth, but Jeremy Rubens (Sr. • New Franken) forced a double play to escape. The Pioneers were able to capitalize on Levi Ney's triple to begin the ninth frame. Cody Luther followed with a double to equal the score at 1. An intentional walk and throwing error then set up Kattre's clinching hit.
UW-Oshkosh used two walks and a single to make things interesting in the bottom half. Dostalek walked to force in one run and make it 3-2. The Titans then struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Rubens, who had a one-hit shutout entering the eighth, took the loss. He allowed three runs in the ninth frame after recording four strikeouts in 8.1 frames. The win went to Bill Oppriecht after he yielded two earned runs over eight innings. Grant Oldenburg recorded a save by getting the final three outs.
Game two saw the Titans register two runs in the first, one in the third and two in the seventh frame. Alex Mullendore (Jr. • Glendale Heights, Ill.) accounted for two RBI with his sacrifice fly and double. Dostalek also marked a sacrifice fly in the first, while Tyler Kamps (So. • Appleton) crushed a run-scoring double to make it 5-0 during the seventh.
UW-Platteville had a base runner reach third base during three of its at-bats, but Schreiber refused to lose his shutout. In the ninth inning, Schreiber posted a strikeout and double play to improve his record to 3-0. Justin Crotty took the loss after surrendering five ER in six frames.
Kamps paced all players with five hits on the day, as the Titans took that category in both game one (11-6) and game two (9-5). Aaron Hopson recorded the lone multi-hit game for the Pioneers, tallying two in the nightcap.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com, and UW-Platteville will meet again for a doubleheader on Sunday (April 3) in Platteville.