UW-Oshkosh split a doubleheader with UW-Stout on Sunday (April 10) at Tiedemann Field to win the four-game series and knock the Blue Devils out of first place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball standings.

UW-Oshkosh (10-10, 5-5 WIAC) held on for a 5-3 victory during Sunday's opener and suffered a 12-5 setback during the nightcap. The Titans, who swept a home doubleheader against UW-Stout on Saturday (April 9), secured the regular season series versus the Blue Devils for the first time since also winning three of four meetings in 2018.

UW-Stout (14-8, 9-3 WIAC) entered the weekend series in Oshkosh with 16 consecutive conference wins dating back to last season. The Blue Devils, averaging 8.8 runs per contest heading into Sunday, were held to 21 total runs in the four games against the Titans.

UW-Stout is now one game behind leader UW-Stevens Point (17-3, 8-2 WIAC) in the conference standings while UW-Oshkosh remains in fifth place.

In Sunday's first game, UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 4-0 lead through five innings and held on to win behind the pitching of starter Will Michalski and relievers Matt Sorrells and LJ Waco. The trio combined to allow just eight hits and two earned runs.

UW-Oshkosh took a 1-0 lead on a Matt Scherrman sacrifice fly that scored Eric Modaff in the bottom of the first inning. The Titans added three runs during the third inning as Connor Giusti hit a single to bring home Modaff before Giusti and Scherrman both came around to score what proved to be the winning runs on an error for a 4-0 advantage.

UW-Stout pulled within 4-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning, but Scherrman lifted a sacrifice fly to score Andrew Deardurff to extend the Titans' cushion to three runs in the home half of the seventh frame.

The Blue Devils scored once in the ninth inning and had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs. However, Waco induced a popup to Scherrman at shortstop to preserve the UW-Oshkosh victory.

Modaff had a hit, walked twice, stole a pair of bases and scored two runs while Scherrman drove in two runs for a UW-Oshkosh offense that mustered just three hits but walked five times.

Michalski (2-0) earned the win, limiting UW-Stout to two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings.

Sorrells then provided two scoreless innings of relief and struck out three without issuing a walk ahead of Waco, who registered his second save of the year.

UW-Stout starting pitcher Cody Urban (2-2) was charged with the loss, yielding four runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts across six innings.

UW-Stout outhit the Titans, 8-3, as Levi Wilson went 3-for-3 and walked once while Drew Ries had a pair of hits and an RBI.

During the nightcap, UW-Stout took full advantage of UW-Oshkosh's season-high six errors, scoring seven unearned runs en route to salvaging the final game of the series. The Titans, who committed eight total errors Sunday, went into the day with a WIAC-best .975 fielding percentage.

UW-Stout took the lead for good at 2-1 following a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning.

Wilson was 4-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs during the second contest for the Blue Devils. Charlie Szykowny hit a two-run homer that increased UW-Stout's lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth inning.

UW-Stout relief pitcher Ethan Kjellberg (4-1) picked up the win despite surrendering four runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings. Connor Hemme then notched the save for the Blue Devils after tossing the final three innings in hitless fashion.

Scherrman and Nicholas Shiu both accounted for two of UW-Oshkosh's nine hits. Scherrman tripled and hit a solo home run – his team-tying fourth this season – to cut the Titans' deficit to 9-5 in the home half of the sixth frame. Scherrman and Zach Taylor both drove in two runs.

UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Connor Brinkman (3-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings.

UW-Oshkosh remains at home to host Finlandia University (Mich.) for WIAC doubleheaders Friday and Saturday (April 15-16) at Tiedemann Field.

Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics