UW-Oshkosh rallied with eight runs during its final two at-bats to finish 1-1 against Hamline University (Minn.) during the season-opening baseball doubleheader on Monday (March 12) in the Minneapolis Metrodome.
The Titans (1-1) scored nine unanswered runs to record a 9-3 victory in game one. During the nightcap, the Pipers (5-6) rallied from a 6-0 deficit to steal an 8-7 win. This was the first meeting between the two schools.
Hamline got two runs, including one from a Jordan Rubbelke single, during the opener's second inning. The Pipers then upped their advantage to 3-0 on a wild pitch in the third frame.
Brock Guetzke (Jr. • Hartford) walked to lead off the Titans' fourth. Following a pair of outs, Alex Mullendore (Sr. • Glendale Heights, Ill.) crushed a double to put his team on the board. UW-Oshkosh then obtained a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning thanks to Michael Polcyn's (Fr. • Ripon) run-scoring double and a Hamline error.
Another fielding miscue by the Pipers jump-started the Titan offense during the sixth inning. Guetzke plated two runs with a single to center before Tyler Kamps (Jr. • Appleton) knocked home one with a triple. The final score of the game occurred on a Hamline error with two outs.
Matt Wells (Jr. • Little Chute) tossed 5.1 innings, allowing three runs and three hits, for the victory. Retiring five batters, Troy Mrkvicka (Sr. • Greendale) earned the save. Hamline's Matt Mullendore took the loss after surrendering three runs in 4.1 frames, while Rannon Arch allowed four runs during his one inning on the mound.
UW-Oshkosh gained a 4-0 lead in game two with four runs in the third frame. Kyle Van Abel (Sr. • Kaukauna), who had three hits in the contest, drilled a RBI double for the first score. After a pair of Titans scored on groundouts, an error let in another run. Van Abel then blasted a two-run homer during the fourth inning to make it 6-0.
The Pipers marked two triples, including a two-run hit by Tyler Johnson, during their half of the fifth. Cam Smith counted a run-scoring triple and Andy King a sacrifice fly to pull Hamline within 6-5.
The bottom of the sixth inning began with Daniel Zurbey's single. After loading the bases, the Pipers got hit by two pitches and walked to score three times and go ahead, 8-6. UW-Oshkosh could only muster one run in the seventh frame on Jake Dostalek's (So. • Waterford) single.
Mrkvicka received the pitching loss after allowing three earned runs in 0.1 innings. James Lacy (So. • Shawano) was the Titan starter and went five frames while yielding five runs. Hamline starter Rob Miller allowed five runs over three innings before Dan Ellefson (win) recorded the final six outs and surrendered one run.
Smith went 4-for-5 in the doubleheader to lead the Pipers. Polcyn and Luke Gajewski (Fr. • Wausau) each posted three hits on the day for the Titans.
UW-Oshkosh has a twinbill against the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) on Tuesday (March 13) in the Metrodome.