BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- Mary Kate Quaid (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) homered in both games as nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball split a pair of nonconference contests Saturday (March 28) in Bloomington, Ill.
 
Oshkosh (14-4), ranked 19th in NCAA Division III, suffered a 7-4 walk-off setback to host Illinois Wesleyan University before bouncing back for a 12-5, six-inning victory over Calvin University (Mich.).
 
Quaid finished the day 4-for-7 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored and three runs batted in.
 
Oshkosh collected 21 hits overall Saturday, including four apiece from Brianne Lopez (Volo, Ill./Grant Community) and Olivia Ullman (Denmark/Denmark), and three from Sarah Hammerton (Appleton/Appleton West). Hammerton and Ullman, who collected three RBI on the day, recorded doubles in both games.
 
During Saturday's second game, Oshkosh raced out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and walked off Calvin (11-8) on a Lopez two-out single that plated pinch-runner Kaelin Adair (Mishicot/Mishicot) from second base.
 
Oshkosh broke open a scoreless game with a seven-run outburst in the home half of the second inning. The Titans had eight baserunners during the game-changing rally as Amanda Martineck (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) sparked the inning with a hit-by-pitch. She came around to score the first run on Olivia Baugnet's (De Pere/De Pere) single and later capped the merry-go-round with an opposite field double that brought home Ullman for the 7-0 advantage.
 
The Titans' second inning featured five hits – including consecutive run-scoring, two-out doubles from Hammerton, Ullman and Martineck – in addition to three Knights errors, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
 
After Calvin scored twice in the top of the third inning, Lopez extended the Oshkosh cushion to 8-2 on a single with the bases loaded that plated Emma Bohn (Rosendale/Laconia).
 
Calvin cut its deficit to 8-3 in the top of the fourth frame, but Oshkosh answered right away with four runs during the home half of the inning as Bohn delivered a two-run double that scored both Ullman and Haylie Wittman (Kaukauna/Kaukauna). Bohn then trotted home on Quaid's two-run homer that upped the Titan lead to 12-3.
 
The Knights staved off the eight-run rule for one inning by scoring twice in the top of the fifth frame to pull within 12-5. However, Lopez invoked the run-rule an inning later.
 
Oshkosh outhit the Knights, 13-9, and played errorless in the field while Calvin committed a season high-tying five miscues. The Titans have now secured three wins via the run rule this season.
 
Quaid went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
 
Baugnet, Bohn, Hammerton and Lopez also added two runs batted in. Lopez and Ullman chipped in two hits each.
 
Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot) improved her season record to 8-1 on the year, allowing two runs on five hits and zero walks with four strikeouts in relief of starter Grace Nardi (Marquette, Mich./Negaunee).
 
Nardi did not factor in the decision after yielding three runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts across the first 3.1 innings.
 
Calvin starting pitcher Emma Ludema (4-2) suffered the loss, ceding seven runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
 
Carly Dole and Emily Sweetland both drove in a pair of runs for the Knights, who also received two hits apiece from Bella Duimstra and Aubrey Herder. Sweetland hit a two-run homer during the top of the fifth inning.
 
During the first game of day, Oshkosh owned leads of 2-1 in the third inning and 4-3 during the sixth frame. But Isabella Boskey launched a grand slam to conclude the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Boskey had struck out and stranded three total baserunners to end the first and third frames.
 
Illinois Wesleyan (10-7) and Oshkosh were meeting for the first time since Oshkosh won, 1-0, in a clash of the Titans during the 2024 NCAA Oshkosh Regional.
 
Ullman gave Oshkosh a 2-1 advantage with a double in the top of the third inning that scored both Baugnet and Lopez.
 
Illinois Wesleyan reclaimed a 3-2 lead during the bottom of the fourth inning, but Quaid lifted her first collegiate home run – a two-run shot to left field that plated Hammerton – to put Oshkosh ahead, 4-3. Quaid has two of Oshkosh's three home runs this year.
 
Grace Wilkens had three of Illinois Wesleyan's 13 hits from atop the batting order.
 
Illinois Wesleyan relief pitcher Caroline Gatchell (2-1) picked up the victory after tossing a perfect top of the seventh inning.
 
Staff ace Gianna Certa went the first six innings in the Illinois Wesleyan pitcher's circle, allowing four runs on eight hits. She struck out three and walked none.
 
Hammerton, Lopez and Ullman each accounted for two of Oshkosh's eight hits. Ullman doubled, stole a base and drove in two runs.
 
Oshkosh relief pitcher Brianna Bougie (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) (2-3) was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
 
Sanford went the first 3.2 frames for Oshkosh, ceding three runs (two earned) and scattering eight hits. She notched five strikeouts without issuing a walk. Sanford went into the day ranked seventh nationally at 10.7 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
Oshkosh remains in Bloomington to face Wartburg College (Iowa) at 12:15 p.m. and host Illinois Wesleyan again at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (March 29).