Derek Hiroskey's (Sr. • Kimberly) six-hit contest and Matt Wells' (So. • Little Chute) complete-game pitching performance were the main highlights as UW-Oshkosh posted wins over both The College of Wooster (Ohio) and Carroll University baseball teams on Thursday (March 24) in Fort Myers, Fla.
For the fourth straight game, the Titans (5-1) topped the Fighting Scots – this time by a 17-1 tally. Hiroskey totaled six RBI and three runs scored to pace UW-Oshkosh's 22-hit barrage. Kyle Van Abel (Jr. • Kaukauna) stepped up to the plate later, marking four hits and four RBI in a 9-5 comeback win over the Pioneers (0-6).
During the opener, the Titans booked 15 runs after the fourth inning to pull away. Hiroskey's outstanding day included a run-scoring single in the third, a three-run double in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth. UW-Oshkosh also scored three times on wild pitches and twice on Wooster (8-7) errors.
A six-run fifth frame upped the lead to 8-0. Alex Mullendore (Jr. • Glendale Heights, Ill.) smashed a solo home run before Jake Dostalek (Fr. • Waterford) ripped one of his two RBI singles. The other big blow of the inning was a single from Tyler Kamps (So. • Appleton), who drove in two runs.
The Fighting Scots went hitless in six of their at-bats. They finally broke through and scored on Michael DeBord's pinch-hit single during the ninth inning. Wooster sent six different pitchers to the mound, with starter Kyle Cunningham-Rhoa (3.1 innings, one earned run) taking the loss. The ensuing five relievers surrendered three runs each.
Eight Titans had a multi-hit game, with Dostalek and Derek Layton (So. • Cross Plains) marking three hits apiece. Wells tossed nine innings, striking out five, to pick up the victory.
Carroll University went ahead, 2-0, in the third inning of the nightcap. The Pioneers' two scores came on a groundout and Drew Volkman's single. The Titans responded in the third inning with a Van Abel single to tie the contest.
In the fourth frame, UW-Oshkosh's first two men walked to start a rally. Bobby Kachel (So. • La Crosse) then drew another walk with the bases loaded. Nolan Fadness (Sr. • Eau Claire) used a sacrifice fly to put the Titans on top, 4-2.
The Pioneers got a leadoff double from George Simmons as they marked three times during their half of the fifth. Dan O'Brien notched the clutch double, plating two to go ahead by a 5-4 count. UW-Oshkosh equaled the score on Doug Beattie's (So. • Escanaba, Mich.) double in the seventh inning.
An error and consecutive hit batsmen set up the Titans' deciding eighth frame. With one man out, Fadness crushed a double to centerfield and put his team up, 7-5. Van Abel recorded a two-run double of his own just two batters later to seal the contest.
Troy Mrkvicka (Jr. • Greendale), who earned the save in UW-Oshkosh's first three wins, took this victory with 4.2 shutout innings. Sean Grabig (So. • Howard) started and allowed five ER on 10 hits over 4.1 frames. The loss fell on Sam Mulkey, who pitched all eight innings and yielded seven ER while walking five.
Carroll University outhit the Titans, 14-9, but it stranded 10 runners on base. Volkman and Jordan Stephans each had a three-hit game for the Pioneers. The Titans benefitted from two hits and three RBI from Fadness, along with two more hits by Dostalek.
UW-Oshkosh battles Western Connecticut State University and Otterbein University (Ohio) on Friday (March 25) in Fort Myers, Fla.