Jeremy Rubens (Sr. • New Franken) didn't walk a man during his six-hit shutout as the UW-Oshkosh baseball team split a doubleheader with UW-La Crosse on Saturday (April 9) at Tiedemann Field.

For the second time in three starts, Rubens posted nine zeros on the scoreboard as the Titans took game one, 5-0. UW-La Crosse (12-5/4-2 WIAC) made up for it by scoring in four consecutive innings to steal the nightcap, 4-2. UW-Oshkosh entered the day ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com.

All 18 hits in the opener were singles, so the Titans (13-3/4-2 WIAC) manufactured each of their runs. During the second inning, Bobby Kachel (So. • La Crosse) smashed a base hit to center to go ahead. UW-Oshkosh then went up, 3-0, on singles by Jake Dostalek (Fr. • Waterford) and Sean Grabig (So. • Howard) in the fourth frame.

A two-run smash from Alex Mullendore (Jr. • Glendale Heights, Ill.) during the fifth inning completed the scoring. The Titans racked up 12 hits, including three by Derek Hiroskey (Sr. • Kimberly).

UW-La Crosse recorded two hits in the second inning, but never seriously threatened until the ninth. In the final frame, Rubens worked around a two-out hit and error to complete the game. He has now allowed scoring in just one of his last 27 innings pitched.

Bryant Rude struck out nine in taking the loss, as he hurled all eight frames and surrendered four earned runs. The Eagles' offense got two hits apiece from Corey Geary and Zach Harazin.

During the second contest, the Eagles got one run in each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth frames. Their first score was set up by a leadoff double from Matt Johnson. UW-La Crosse went ahead on a fielding error, and a Titan throwing error made it 4-1 in the sixth inning.

In the fourth, Jon-Paul Cloutier doubled home his squad's second tally. The Titans responded in the bottom half with a hit-by-pitch and walk. A fielder's choice groundout by Kachel then plated UW-Oshkosh's first run. Derek Layton (So. • Cross Plains) added his team's other score with a ninth-inning double.

UW-La Crosse got its last run on a Harazin double in the fifth. The Eagles' six hits featured two apiece by Cloutier and Johnson. UW-Oshkosh's seven hits included two by both Dostalek and Nolan Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire).

Mitch Running baffled the home batters through seven innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run. Zach Lauersdorf also gave up a run, but he got the save for his two effective frames. The loss went to Phil Schreiber (Jr. • Kaukauna) after he yielded two earned runs in four innings. Troy Mrkvicka (Jr. • Greendale) went the final five and also allowed two earned runs on three hits.

The Titans and Eagles will play another doubleheader on Sunday (April 10) in Oshkosh.