Superb bullpen pitching and Bobby Kachel's clutch home run gave UW-Oshkosh a sweep of UW-Platteville on Saturday (May 4) at Tiedemann Field.
Brock Guetzke allowed just one run in 6.2 relief innings as the Titans came back for a 9-6 opener victory. Kachel then ripped a solo homer in the eighth inning to take the second game, 4-3.
UW-Platteville (10-26/5-15) got out to a 5-1 lead in the first contest. Tyler Jacobson knocked in two runs with a sacrifice fly during the second inning. Zach Demmon added a two-run blast in the third for the four-run advantage.
The Titans (21-10/10-8 WIAC) slowly chipped away with RBI singles from Michael Polcyn, Kachel and Doug Beattie to make it 6-5.
Michael Swift doubled to begin a four-run rally in the fifth. Beattie smacked another run-scoring single before Tyler Kamps hit a RBI single that put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 9-6.
The loss went to Bill Oppriecht, who allowed nine runs (six earned) in the first 4.2 innings. UW-Oshkosh starter Travis Sindles surrendered five runs over 2.1 frames.
UW-Oshkosh did not commit an error in either game. The nightcap was a low-scoring affair, with each team marking once in the third frame.
During the fourth, Swift tripled into the gap to take the lead. Robbie Kleman followed with a RBI single for a 3-1 margin that stood until the seventh.
The Pioneers marked four straight singles in the seventh, using Ryan Duva's hit to tie the score at 3. Ian Zahn then came in to pitch and tossed three scoreless innings for the win.
Kachel led off the bottom of the eighth and clobbered a line drive over the LF wall for the winning tally.
Adam Theis (loss) went all eight frames, allowing four ER on eight hits. UW-Oshkosh had James Lacy yield three runs in the first six innings.
Polcyn totaled a double and a single while extending his hit streak to 13 games.
The Pioneers were led by Bobby Patton, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
UW-Oshkosh has its final home date of the year against UW-Platteville on Sunday (May 5).
By Jon Feyen, UW-Oshkosh Sports Information