UW-Oshkosh belted 15 hits in three innings to top The College of
Wooster (Ohio) softball team, 11-2, on Sunday (March 17) in Fort
Myers, Fla. The Titans fell to NYU-Polytechnic Institute, 4-0, in
their first game of the day.
Against Wooster, Katie
Koepsel (So. • Oak Creek) led the way with five runs
batted in. She crushed a two-run homer to centerfield in the
opening frame. During the third, Koepsel ripped a two-run single
that put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 11-0.
Other run-scoring hits included a Kassie
Krueger (Jr. • Plover) triple in the first inning and a Tess
Fadness (Jr. • Eau Claire) double in the second.
Haley
Bayreuther (Fr. • Janesville) topped the Titans (4-2) with
three hits and three runs scored.
In the first four innings, Courtney
Wautier (Sr. • Brussels) struck out nine batters for the
win. Wooster's only run off her came on a wild pitch during the
fourth frame.
Skye Patterson marked two hits, including a RBI single, for the
Fighting Scots (7-5).
The loss went to Gina Pirolozzi after she yielded four runs
while getting two outs. Allie Webb went the final 4.1 innings and
allowed seven runs on 14 hits.
NYU-Poly's Lyndsey Rathburn tossed six shutout innings to beat the
Titans in the early contest. UW-Oshkosh had four hits – all
singles – and did not advance past second base.
The Blue Jays (3-2) gained a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a
pair of groundball hits. Shelby Bruns and Sadie Hoeschen each snuck
a single up the middle to plate one run.
UW-Oshkosh's highlight came in the bottom of the fifth, when
Corine Fitzgibbons launched a ball to deep centerfield. Hayden
Krueger (Fr. • Bristol) reached over the wall and made the
catch while crashing into the fence. The fence collapsed
and had to be reassembled, but Krueger held on for the spectacular
putout.
Melissa
Gutsmiedl (Fr. • Winneconne) gave up four ER with three
strikeouts over six innings for the defeat.
The Titans meet North Central College (Ill.) and the University
of New England (Maine) in Cape Coral on Monday (March 18).
By Jon Feyen