OSHKOSH, Wis.- After an 18-hour delay, the UW-Oshkosh softball team finished off Concordia University Wisconsin (32-13), 4-1, on Saturday (May 17) to advance to the regional championship at home for the third season in a row.
 
The Titans (39-8), ranked 14th in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) then met UW-Stevens Point (31-13) for the fifth time this season in the championship game and thanks to a two-run home run by Amanda Martineck (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) that handed Oshkosh a lead it did not give up, winning 5-2. With the win in the first championship game, the Titans forced the if necessary game with a chance to reach the second World Series in two years. The Pointers had other ideas however and broke a 0-0 tie in the fifth inning with a three-run home run, eventually winning the regional.
 
Brianna Bougie (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) returned to the circle against the Falcons on Friday (May 16) after exiting Thursday's (May 15) opener in the first inning when she was hit by a come-backer. She tossed the complete game, striking out seven batters including two in the first and fourth innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks.
 
Six Titans recorded a hit in the contest. Sarah Hammerton (Appleton/Appleton West) had a two-RBI double, Haylie Wittman (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) hit a solo home run, and Sophie Wery (Seymour/Seymour Community) knocked in a run with a single.
 
Concordia Wisconsin scored first in the second inning with a single to right field. UW-Oshkosh tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Mary Kate Quaid (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) reached first base on an error and advanced to second during the play before taking third when Wittman laid down a sacrifice bunt. Wery beat out an infield single after an out was recorded to score Quaid.
 
After a scoreless third inning, Bougie fended the Falcons off with a runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth. Wittman hit her first home run of the year with an out in Oshkosh's half of the fourth frame to put the hosts up by a run. Martineck reached on an error and Lizzie Slobodecki (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) came on to pinch run, however that is where the game ended for the night.
 
When the teams returned to the field on Saturday morning, Oshkosh hit back-to-back fly outs to center field to advance to the fifth inning.
 
Olivia Ullman (Denmark/Denmark) walked and Morgan Rau (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) singled with two outs in the fifth inning and then scored when Hammerton doubled to right center, increasing the lead to 4-1.
 
Both teams went down in order in the sixth inning and Bougie escaped the Falcons' half of the seventh inning by inducing a fly out after Concordia Wisconsin reached second and third with a single and a double.
 
Bougie returned to the circle in the first regional championship game against Stevens Point and threw 5.2 innings. She allowed four hits and two walks for two runs while fanning four Pointers and faced just three batters in the first, second, and fourth innings. Grace Nardi (Marquette, Mich./Negaunee) then earned her first collegiate save with 1.1 innings of scoreless work, allowing one hit and a walk.
 
At the plate, Ullman and Sydney Rau (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) both went 2-for-4. Rau scored a run and Ullman recorded two RBIs with a double. Wittman and Hammerton also hit doubles and Martineck sent in two runs, scoring one of her own with a 1-for-2 game at the plate with a home run.
 
Morgan Rau (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) led off the second inning with a single to right field and moved to second base on a passed ball, later scoring when Martineck homered to left field for a 2-0 edge.
 
The Titans added a run in the sixth inning when Hammerton doubled and answered a pair of Stevens Point runs with two of their own in the seventh when Ullman doubled to left center. Abby Garceau (Mishicot/Mishicot) and Sydney Rau (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) were on base after reaching on an error and legging out a bunt to the pitcher.
 
Nardi forced three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force game seven.
 
Nardi was selected for the start against Stevens Point in the if necessary game. She struck out three batters across 4.2 innings while allowing three unearned runs on two hits, three walks, and a hit batter. Bougie finished the game by throwing 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two.
 
Hammerton and Cali Divito (Inverness, Ill./Fremd) hit matching 1-for-2 performances and Hammerton scored Oshkosh's lone run of the season finale. Olivia Baugnet (De Pere/De Pere) stole a base as a pinch runner.
 
While Nardi worked scoreless innings across the first four frames and faced three batters in the second, the Titans went down in order in each.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Pointers reached on an error and walked to put two runners on for Jesse Klicker who broke the tie with a shot to left field.
 
Bougie fanned a pair of Pointers in the sixth inning, keeping the score at 3-0, and moving the board to the bottom half of the frame. Hammerton hit an infield single, took second when Wery grounded out, and third when Divito singled. When Stevens Point's catcher threw down to second attempting to get Baugnet who was stealing second, Hammerton dashed home to break up the shutout.
 
In the seventh inning, Bougie induced two groundouts and a pop up to hold off the Pointers, however Oshkosh couldn't start a rally in the last half inning and its season concluded in the national tournament.
 
Oshkosh and Concordia began their elimination game on Friday (May 16) at 4 p.m. The contest reached the bottom of the fourth inning with a Titan on first base before being suspended until Saturday morning.
 
Bougie, Garceau, and Nardi were all named to the regional all-tournament team after the final game concluded.
 
UW-Oshkosh finished the season with a 39-8 record, the second-most in program history. After opening the season with eight consecutive wins, the Titans posted a 10-4 record in WIAC play to earn the No. 2 seed in the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's). After the first round bye, they defeated UW-Stevens Point and UW-Platteville on their way to the third conference tournament crown in program history to earn the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The team learned it would be hosting a regional tournament for the third straight year during the selection show and opened the national postseason with a 6-0 win over Concordia Wisconsin on Thursday (May 15). The Pointers sent Oshkosh to the elimination bracket with a 1-0 win on Friday. UW-Oshkosh eliminated the Falcons from the tournament with the 4-1 win on Saturday and advanced to the regional championship with the Pointers.
 
When the WIAC released its all-conference teams on May 12, Bougie highlighted the Titans' selections with Kwik Trip Pitcher of the Year honors. She was joined on the All-WIAC Team by Garceau and Hammerton. Nardi and Wittman were named All-WIAC Honorable Mention while Reese Koski (Appleton/Appleton North) was all-sportsmanship. Oshkosh's coaching staff was named Kwik Trip Co-Coaching Staff of the Year alongside UW-Platteville.
 
On Friday (May 16) during the regional, the NFCA announced that Sydney Nemetz (Marinette/Marinette) was named to her second consecutive All-Region VIII First Team. Wery earned second team all-region honors for the second time in three years and Rau collected her first career all-region nod with a second team placement.