Mia Crotty pitched a three-hitter with a career-high 11 strikeouts and Gabby Buikema drove in all three runs during the home opener as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball team split a pair of nonconference contests Saturday (March 5) in the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex.

UW-Oshkosh (4-2), ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by the National fastpitch Coaches Association, downed Lawrence University, 3-0, behind Crotty's pitching gem before suffering a 5-0 setback to Concordia University Wisconsin as the Falcons scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning.

During the home opening victory over Lawrence University, Crotty limited the Vikings to just three hits – all singles – and a walk while surpassing her previous career best of nine strikeouts.

Buikema provided Crotty all the run support she needed with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the first inning that plated both Abby Garceau and Ana Iliopoulos. Buikema later lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Zoe Malone for a 3-0 UW-Oshkosh lead during the fifth frame.

Crotty (2-0) pitched around leadoff singles in the second and seventh innings, a one-out hit during the third frame and a two-out walk in the fourth to notch her second career shutout. Crotty recorded at least one strikeout in each inning, including a pair of punchouts during the second, third, fourth and fifth frames.

Garceau went 3-for-4 for the Titans, who also received hits from Malone, Brianna Davis, Grace Stevens and Hannah Ritter on the way to outhitting the Vikings, 9-3.

Jordan Wallin-Swanson was 2-for-3 to pace Lawrence University (0-5).

Vikings starting pitcher Xiomara Rueda-Marshall (0-2) suffered the complete game loss, yielding nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

In the setback to Concordia University Wisconsin, Titans starting pitcher Maddie Fink and Falcons hurler Gina Followell were locked in a scoreless duel until the visitors tallied five runs after two outs during the final inning.

Kelsey Bollon drove in what proved to be the game-winning runs with a single that scored a pair. Claudia Utz later hit a run-scoring single for a 3-0 lead ahead of a two-run double by Jess Pozezinski.

Followell (3-0) struck out each of the first nine batters she faced and finished with 15 strikeouts while surrendering two hits and a walk.

UW-Oshkosh had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth inning following singles by Ritter and Davis sandwiched around an Iliopoulos walk. However, Followell kept her shutout bid intact by inducing a pair of popouts and registering a strikeout to thwart the threat.

The Falcons outhit the Titans, 10-2, as Pozezinski, Sydney Erdmann and Megan Bloyer each contributed two hits for Concordia University Wisconsin. Davis and Ritter both registered singles for UW-Oshkosh.

Ritter, a 2021 NFCA Third Team All-American, extended her on-base streak to 37 consecutive games with a hit during both contests. Ritter is now batting .611 on the year after going 2-for-4 at the plate Saturday.

Fink (1-2) was charged with the loss, ceding five runs with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.

UW-Oshkosh finishes its four-game homestand with nonconference games against UW-Superior and The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) on Sunday (March 6) in the Rec Plex.

2022 UW-Oshkosh Softball Invitational