WHITEWATER, Wis.- UW-Whitewater may have won the first game of Thursday's (April 10) doubleheader at Prucha Field, but the highlight of the day for the UW-Oshkosh baseball program was a 6-3 win in the nightcap to become the first team to defeat the top-ranked Warhawks this season.
 
Whitewater (18-1, 9-1 WIAC) ranked No. 1 in Division III by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association, won the first game, 9-2, before Oshkosh (14-8, 5-5 WIAC), which is receiving votes in both polls this week, took an early 2-0 lead in game two and held the Warhawks at bay for a 6-3 victory.
 
Team Stuff
 
Carter Stebane (Sr. • Brillion) went 2-for-4 at the plate in the first game, recording a run and an RBI. Zach Taylor (Grad. • Long Grove, Ill.) went 1-for-4 with a run and Jack McNamara (Jr. • LaGrange, Ill.) had the Titans' other RBI on 2-for-4 batting.
 
In a bullpen game, Ryan Richter (Fr. • Waukesha) started for Oshkosh, pitching an inning. He was followed by Parker Thompson (Jr. • Wauwatosa) for an inning. The Titans' first two pitchers held the Warhawks scoreless. Cooper Kamlay (Fr. • Franklin), Vann Olson (Fr. • Maple Grove, Minn.), Michael Hughes (Jr. • Lockport, Ill.), and Aaron Huibregtse (Sr. • Oostburg) threw the rest of the game and allowed a combined nine runs (eight earned). Kamlay was assigned the loss and moved to 0-1 on the season.
 
UW-Oshkosh threatened to score for the first time in the top of the third inning when Nick Shiu (Sr. • Gurnee, Ill.) reached on a single with two outs and advanced to third on a Mason Kirchberg (Sr. • DeForest) single. UW-Whitewater escaped the inning and stranded both runners on base.
 
The Warhawks tallied their first four runs of the game in the bottom half of the third on a pair of doubles, a single, and a fielder's choice. They scored twice more in the fourth inning when Matt Scolan hit a home run with a man on base.
 
In Oshkosh's half of the fifth inning, Logan Schill (So. • Pewaukee) beat out an infield single and stole second base before moving to third on Shiu's second single of the game. He wasn't able to score however as Kirchberg flew out to end the frame.
 
Taylor scored the Titans' first run of the day the following inning. He hit a ground-rule double to lead off the inning and scored on a double by Stebane. Stebane moved to second base on a passed ball and crossed the plate on McNamara's single, cutting the deficit to 6-2.
 
UW-Whitewater scored three times in the eighth inning, on two singles and an error, securing a 9-2 victory.
 
Eight batters registered hits for Oshkosh in the second game, including a 3-for-4 effort by Stebane with a double and three runs and a 2-for-3 game for Braydon Skenandore (So. • De Pere) with a double and a trio of RBIs. Skenandore and Jake Surane (Grad. • Lincolnshire, Ill.) each swiped a bag in the game.
 
Richter was Oshkosh's starter again in game two. This time, he pitched four innings, allowing a run on three hits and two walks. Thompson once again relieved him, throwing two innings and striking out three while giving up a run on two hits and a walk. Connor Walters (Jr. • Libertyville, Ill.) threw a scoreless seventh inning before Nick Rector (Sr. • Sewell, N.J.) tossed the eighth. Connor Brinkman (Sr. • New London) made his first relief appearance since 2022 when he came in for the ninth inning, forcing a groundout and two flyouts on his way to his first save of the season and the third of his career.
 
The Titans jumped on the board early in the nightcap, tallying a pair of runs in the second inning. Taylor scored on a Skenandore single and Stebane touched home on a double steal with Skenandore.
 
Whitewater scored on a sacrifice fly in the third inning and tallied a run in the sixth and eighth innings, but a pair of two-run frames for the Titans in the fourth and ninth made sure the lead stayed in Oshkosh's favor.
 
After Taylor and Stebane reached the base path on a single and double respectively in the top of the fourth inning, Skenandore knocked a ground-rule double to left center field to send both runners home to increase the edge to 4-1.
 
Up 4-3 in the top of the ninth, the Titans added a pair of security runs on a sacrifice bunt by McNamara and a bases loaded walk for Surane.
 
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater will face again on Wednesday, April 23 for another doubleheader at Tiedemann Field in Oshkosh.
 
The Titans head north this weekend to face UW-Eau Claire (6-15, 0-10 WIAC) at Carson Park on Saturday and Sunday (April 12-13). Oshkosh has won 15 of its 16 matchups with the Blugolds since Eau Claire reorganized its baseball program for the 2021 season.