LA CROSSE, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh softball team started its conference slate with a doubleheader sweep over UW-La Crosse on Saturday (April 12). The Titans won the first game 8-2, and the second 5-1.
 
In the first game, the No. 11 nationally ranked Titans (24-2, 2-0 WIAC) scored their eight runs on 13 hits with no errors. La Crosse (15-13, 0-2 WIAC) scored its two runs on eight hits with four errors. The Titans scored all their five runs in the second game on six hits with no errors, while La Crosse scored their one run on five hits with one error.
 
Sydney Nemetz (Sr. • Marinette) picked up her tenth win of the season in game one, striking out eight batters over five innings, allowing two runs on five hits. With her first strikeout of the game, Nemetz became the third Titan to reach 400 career strikeouts, joining 1996 UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Nila (Grunewald) Rodriguez (403) and 2019 inductee and all-time WIAC leader Ronessa Stampfli (1,019). Nemetz currently ranks 12th in WIAC history with 407 strikeouts.
 
Brianna Bougie (So. • Oshkosh) closed out the game, striking out two over two innings, while only allowing three hits.
 
At the plate, Sarah Hammerton (So. • Appleton) and Amanda Martineck (So. • Frankfort, Ill.) both recorded three-hit games, with Hammerton scoring on all three hits and Martineck recorded both a run and an RBI.
 
Cali Divito (Sr. • Inverness, Ill.) got the Titans on the board in the top of the second inning in the first game, scoring Hammerton on a single.
 
The Titans added four more runs in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 5-0. Lizzie Slobodecki (Sr. • Carol Stream, Ill.) scored on a wild pitch. Hammerton scored for the second time, this time on a Martineck single. Divito then picked up her second RBI of the game, knocking in Haylie Wittman (Jr. • Kaukauna). Martineck scored the fourth run of the inning on a single by Abby Garceau (Sr. • Mishicot).
 
In the top of the fifth, Hammerton scored her third run on a sacrifice bunt by Divito.
 
The Titans scored their final two runs of the game in the sixth inning, starting on a single from Mary Kate Quaid (Fr. • Aurora, Ill.) which scored Morgan Rau (Fifth. • Downers Grove, Ill.). Wittman proceeded to drive in Quaid on a single to put the Titans up 8-0.
 
La Crosse attempted a comeback, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but it wasn't enough, and the Titans won the opener, 8-2.
 
Grace Nardi (Fr. • Marquette, Mich.) started for the Titans, striking out four batters over four innings. Nardi allowed one run on three hits.
 
Bougie picked up the win to move to 6-0 on the season, holding La Crosse scoreless over the final three innings, striking out two and allowing only two hits.
 
At the plate, Martineck went 2-for-3 with two doubles. Morgan Rau also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2. Sophie Wery (Sr. • Seymour) hit 1-for-2 with a run and two RBIs.
 
In the second game, the Titans fell behind early as La Crosse scored one run in the bottom of the first.
 
The score remained 1-0 in the Eagles' favor until the top of the sixth inning, when the Titans drove in five runs. Wery sent Oshkosh's first run home in the lead on a two-RBI double, which scored Sydney Rau (Fifth • Downers Grove, Ill.) and Olivia Baugnet (Fr. • De Pere). Quaid drove in Hammerton on a fielder's choice, and Divito scored Wery on another fielder's choice. Martineck then drove in Divito for the Titans' fifth run of the inning on a double.
 
After scoreless fifth and sixth innings, Bougie forced three straight groundouts to seal the comeback win.
 
The Titans face off against No. 23 UW-Whitewater (19-3) on Wednesday (April 16) at home at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.