BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- UW-Oshkosh pitchers Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot) and Brianna Bougie (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) combined to allow one run all day as the nationally ranked Titans earned a pair of impressive nonconference victories Sunday (March 29) against opponents that routinely appear in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
 
Oshkosh (16-4), ranked 19th in the country by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, downed Wartburg College (Iowa), 5-1, before hanging on for a thrilling 1-0 win over host Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill. Oshkosh turned a game-ending double play with the bases loaded during the nightcap.
 
The Titans, who have played 14 games during the past 11 days, picked up their first win over Wartburg (15-7) since 2012 and avenged Saturday's (March 28) 7-4 setback at Illinois Wesleyan (10-10).
 
Wartburg has made four consecutive trips to the NCAA postseason, while Oshkosh made the national tournament the past three years and Illinois Wesleyan the last two seasons. The trio of programs have combined for 43 NCAA trips and 108 national postseason wins.
 
Oshkosh's Olivia Ullman (Denmark/Denmark) and Haylie Wittman (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) both hit their first home runs of the season. Ullman's homer accounted for the game's lone run against Illinois Wesleyan.
 
During the victory over Wartburg, Sanford retired 15 consecutive batters, including six via strikeout, after pitching around a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning.
 
The Titans staked Sanford to a 3-0 lead after five innings as Wittman's infield single plated Emma Bohn (Rosendale/Laconia) in the second frame, Brianne Lopez (Volo, Ill./Grant Community) scored on an error during the third and Wittman launched a solo home run – the eighth of her career – to left-center field in the top of the fifth.
 
Wartburg scratched a run across during the home half of the sixth inning with a pair of hits sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt. However, with a runner at first base, the potential tying run at the plate and one out, Sanford induced a flyball to Titans center fielder Sarah Hammerton (Appleton/Appleton West), who made a running catch and fired to first baseman Amanda Martineck (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) to easily double off the runner and maintain a 3-1 lead.
 
The Titans tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning on a Lopez infield single that scored pinch runner Grace Nardi (Marquette, Mich./Negaunee) and Hammerton's single the opposite way to right field that allowed Kelly Selzer (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich), who reentered the contest after pinch hitter Josie Rammer (Janesville/Craig) drew a walk, to cross the plate for a 5-1 cushion.
 
The Knights got a pair of two-out singles during the home half of the seventh inning, but Sanford put the finishing touches on the Oshkosh victory by fielding a comebacker to the pitcher's circle for the final out.
 
Sanford (9-1) went the distance for the team-leading fourth time this year, allowing just one run on five hits. She struck out six without issuing a walk on the way to lowering her team-best earned run average to 1.47.
 
Hammerton and Wittman both recorded two of Oshkosh's eight hits.
 
Wartburg leadoff batter Reagan Hassel had two of the team's five hits and drove in the Knights' only run.
 
Knights starting pitcher Jillian Panther (3-2) suffered the loss after yielding a run on three hits across the first two innings. Each of the four pitchers Wartburg deployed allowed at least one run as Lauren Dyer, Hannah Hoefer and Katelyn Klever all followed Panther out of the Knights' bullpen.
 
Oshkosh's most recent prior win over Wartburg was a 16-8 decision April 1, 2012, in Rock Island, Ill.
 
During the second game of the day, Bougie and the Oshkosh defense made Ullman's first inning, two-out solo home run hold up in exciting fashion.
 
Ullman rocketed a line drive on a 3-1 pitch just over the wall in left-center for her first career dinger and the fifth by the Titans this year. Oshkosh has now hit a home run in each of its past five contests.
 
Bougie had a no-hitter until a one-out single during the top of the fourth frame. She then pitched around a one-out single during the fifth inning and set down Illinois Wesleyan in order during the sixth frame.
 
Illinois Wesleyan loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning on a pair of singles and a walk to bring up pinch hitter Jullian Bollard.
 
Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Bougie got Bollard to ground sharply to Wittman at second base. Instead of firing home to get the lead runner comfortably and facing a bases-loaded, two-out situation, Wittman tossed the ball to shortstop Bohn for the forceout at second base, and Bohn's ensuing throw to Martineck nipped Bollard by a step at first base to preserve the shutout triumph.
 
Bougie (3-3), who led the entire NCAA last year with a 0.72 ERA, notched her first shutout of the season and fourth career. She limited Illinois Wesleyan to four hits – all singles – and one walk while striking out two en route to her first complete game effort of the year.

Illinois Wesleyan starting pitcher Mallory Holland (3-4) suffered the complete game loss, ceding one run on four hits. She struck out two and walked none.
 
Oshkosh travels to Marian University (7-7) for a nonconference doubleheader Thursday (April 2). First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Fond du Lac.