MENOMONIE, Wis.- UW-Oshkosh baseball continued its win streak with a pair of wins over UW-Stout at the Blue Devils' Nelson Field on Friday (May 2). Oshkosh won the first game by a convincing score of 12-5 before scoring the go-ahead run in the ninth inning of the 5-4 second game.
 
The Titans (27-11, 18-8 WIAC), who are receiving votes in this week's D3baseball.com poll and are ranked 27th by the American Baseball Coaches Association, outhit the Blue Devils (14-24, 12-14 WIAC) 26-15 with eight extra-base hits including four home runs against Stout's four.
 
With the pair of wins, Oshkosh surpassed 25 overall wins and reached 18 WIAC wins for the first time since the 2018 season. The Titans went 34-10 overall and 18-6 in the WIAC in 2018, advancing to the regional tournament of the NCAA Championship.
 
UW-Oshkosh started Connor Brinkman (New London/New London) on the mound in game one. He threw 7.1 innings and struck out a season best nine batters including two in the third and sixth innings against three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks. He moved to a 5-2 record on the year with the win. Ryan Richter (Waukesha/Waukesha West) pitched the following 0.2 innings, holding Stout scoreless on a strikeout and a hit before Aaron Huibregtse (Oostburg/Oostburg) came in for the ninth inning. He allowed three hits for two runs before closing out the game.
 
Six Titans collected at least two hits in the first game and three had three hits. Mason Kirchberg (DeForest/DeForest) hit 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs, and three RBIs. Logan Schill (Pewaukee/Pewaukee) and Jake Surane (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) each stole three bags in the contest while Zach Taylor (Long Grove, Ill./Stevenson) and Kirchberg swiped one each.
 
Schill reached first base on an error as the first batter of the game before stealing second and advancing to third when Nick Shiu (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) flew out to right field. Surane then sent him home on a groundout for Oshkosh's first run of the day.
 
Schill also scored Oshkosh's second run in the third inning. He singled to right center and moved around the basepath with steals of second and third, again reaching home when Surane grounded out.
 
Stout tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning with a pair of RBI singles before going ahead in the fifth with another.
 
A three-run seventh inning handed Oshkosh the lead for the second time and the Titans never looked back. Schill scored Jack McNamara (La Grange, Ill./Lyons) and Kirchberg with a single through the right side and Surane reached home on a throwing error by the Blue Devils' catcher after a double steal.
 
UW-Oshkosh added two runs in the eighth inning for a 7-3 edge on two solo home runs by Kirchberg and Schill.
 
The Titans extended their lead further in the top of the ninth inning when Taylor and Owen Housinger (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Stevenson) hit RBI singles, Kirchberg knocked a two-run home run, and McNamara followed Kirchberg with a solo home run of his own.
 
UW-Stout scored two runs on back-to-back doubles in the bottom half of the ninth, but the Titans held the edge at seven runs.
 
Connor Walters (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) threw the first 7.1 innings of the second game. He struck out two while allowing four runs on six hits and two walks. Nick Rector (Sewell, N.J./Clearview Regional) then tossed 1.2 innings of relief work, earning his third win of the season by holding the Blue Devils scoreless on no hits, three walks, and a strikeout.
 
Kirchberg went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI in the nightcap. Schill and Brenden Max (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) also recorded doubles.
 
The Blue Devils scored first in game two, knocking in two runs on a home run in the first inning.
 
UW-Oshkosh got busy in the fourth inning when it took a 4-2 lead in back-to-back-to-back-to-back at-bats. Surane scored on a Housinger fielder's choice, Taylor scored when Max doubled down the left field line, Housinger ran home on a wild pitch, and Kirchberg sent Max home with a double to left field.
 
Stout tied the game with two runs on a home run in the fifth inning.
 
The score remained knotted at 4-4 across scoreless sixth, seventh, and eighth innings before Schill doubled down the left field line and scored Kirchberg for the go-ahead run. UW-Stout had runners on first and second with two outs before a flyout to center field sealed the win.
 
The Titans and Blue Devils will wrap up their regular seasons on Saturday for another doubleheader at Nelson Field beginning at noon.