OSHKOSH (April 20, 2019) - What a difference a day makes - and a change in location. A day after getting swept by UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout turned the tables by sweeping the Titans, 10-3, 6-1, Saturday at Tiedemann Field.
A day earlier, the teams met at the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston and Oshkosh took a 5-4 come-from-behind win in the first game and a seven inning 12-2 win.
The Blue Devils (13-12, 8-10 WIAC) didn't let anything close to that happen today, pounding Oshkosh (15-16, 8-10 WIAC) pitchers for a combined 31 hits, clubbing 16 in the opener and keeping up the offensive out with 15 in the second.
Stout has not swept a single day doubleheader over the Titans since April 17, 2014, with 10-0, 6-2 wins. The Blue Devils have not swept the Titans in Oshkosh since Mary 5, 2006, winning 15-9, 16-5.
In the opening game, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead after five innings and put six runs on the board in the sixth inning to take a 10-0 lead.
Kasey Bass' sacrifice fly in the first inning put Stout on the board, then the Blue Devils doubled their fun in the second game with two runs. Danny Deis drove in his first of four runs for the game in the second inning with a single down the right field line, then scored on Reid Akerman's left field double. Deis collected his second RBI of the game in the fifth inning, driving in Joel Thimsen.
A five-hit, six-run, sixth inning gave Stout all of the cushion they would need. Akerman scored on a wild pitch get the scoring started. Thimsen drove in a run with an infield single and Deis delivered two more runs with a two-run single. The Blue Devils weren't done yet and Ben Vanhove drove in a two runners with a single to right field.
The Titans would get to Blue Devil starter Casey Ryan with two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, but the former reliever went the distance, striking out four to pick up his second win - and second consecutive win - of the season and his first collegiate complete game. Ryan scattered seven hits to seven different batters. The Titans had three hits in the sixth and two in the seventh, but Ryan went five innings without surrendering a hit.
Deis had a career-game, going 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Deis last season went 3-for-6 with two RBI against Edgewood College. Jack Hemsath was 3-for-6. Jordan Wilson and Akerman both were 2-for-5 and Hunter Merrill and Vanhove were 2-for-4.
In game two, Stout nickeled-and-dimed their way to the win, scoring single runs in the first, second fourth and sixth innings and putting two on the board in the sixth inning.
Jack Hemsath gave Stout a 1-0 lead in the first with a sacrifice fly, but the Titans tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a Hunter Staniske RBI single.
Stout took the lead for good in the second inning when Joel Thimsen led off the inning with his first collegiate home run, a blast to left field. Stout made it 3-1 on a Ried Akerman sacrifice fly in the fourth, then ran out to a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning on a Jordan Wilson sacrifice fly and a Kasey Bass RBI single. Wilson drove in Akerman in the seventh inning for what would be the final 6-1 score.
Jack Donahue pitched eight innings to get the win, scattering eight hits, striking out one, walking one and allowing the one earned run. Jace Baumann came on to close out the game, facing three batters to close the door.
Wilson, Thimsen and Ben Vanhove all went 3-for-5. Wilson had two RBI. Bass was 2-for-4 and Hunter Merrill ws 2-for-5. Zack Rabbe and Kade Bohlman each had two hits to lead the Titans. The Blue Devils ran through four Titan pitchers in each game.
The eight conference wins are the most by a Blue Devil team since the 2014 season when Stout went 10-14 in league play. Stout still has six conference games to play.