Michael Swift (Fr. • Kenosha) totaled five hits and a game-winning sacrifice fly as UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville split a baseball doubleheader on Sunday (April 29) in Platteville. It was the WIAC finale for the Titans (14-21/10-14 WIAC).
The Pioneers (9-26/5-15 WIAC) jumped to a big lead before needing a walk-off in their 10-9 opener victory. UW-Oshkosh then scored twice in the eighth inning to earn a 10-8 decision. The Titans will wait for the results of next weekend's (May 4-5) four-game series between UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater to see if they receive a spot in the four-team WIAC Tournament on May 11-13.
In game one, UW-Platteville counted eight runs in the middle innings. During the third, Jon Lewerke posted a two-run double. After runs came home on a walk and hit-by-pitch, Lewerke booked a two-run single in the fifth to go up, 8-1.
UW-Oshkosh broke out with four runs in both the sixth and eighth frames. In the sixth, Derek Layton (Jr. • Cross Plains) and Michael Polcyn (Fr. • Ripon) each tallied a two-run single. Following Alex Mullendore's (Sr. • Glendale Heights, Ill.) two-run single in the eighth, an error tied the score at 9.
The Pioneers loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two singles and a fielder's choice. Evan Greco then hit a groundball and the Titans tried to make a play at the plate. The throw was off-target, allowing Trevor Kattre to score for the win.
Grant Oldenburg took the victory, going two innings with one unearned run. Shane Murphy started for UW-Platteville and yielded five runs over 5.2 frames. UW-Oshkosh had Eric Stenson (Fr. • Oshkosh) take the loss with one earned run in 3.1 innings, after Chad Wyss (So. • New Lisbon) allowed four runs in 0.2 innings. James Lacy (So. • Shawano) started for the Titans and surrendered four runs over four frames.
Neither team was very sharp in the second contest, which was played in a cool rain. UW-Platteville scored twice on fielding errors in the third frame and once more in the first. The Titans managed to take a 4-2 lead in the third after Polcyn ripped a double to right-center.
In the bottom of the third, Lewerke and Charlie Beckman each notched a RBI single to give the Pioneers a 6-4 cushion. Polcyn cut that margin in half when he singled home a run during the fourth.
Trailing 7-5 in the seventh, the Titans reached on an error, single and walk. Kyle Van Abel (Sr. • Kaukauna) then came through with a huge bases-clearing double.
UW-Platteville tied the score, 8-8, when Tyler Jacobson grounded out in the seventh. UW-Oshkosh got its deciding run in the eighth when Swift hit a sacrifice fly after the Pioneers committed a hit-by-pitch, wild pitch and walk.
Brock Guetzke (Jr. • Hartford) fired seven innings, allowing two earned runs with nine strikeouts, for the win. Troy Mrkvicka (Sr. • Greendale) obtained his third save of the year with a scoreless eighth frame. Brad Kerkman (loss) pitched the eighth, giving up two unearned runs, after Tyler Nelson went four innings with one earned run.
UW-Oshkosh concludes its regular season against Marian University on Sunday (May 6) at Tiedemann Field.