OSHKOSH, Wis.- Nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh softball won a pair of pitcher's duels, including the nightcap by a 1-0 score in 13 innings, on the way to sweeping a doubleheader against UW-Stout to remain atop the WIAC standings Saturday (April 25) at Mary Beth Neinhaus Softball Complex.
 
Oshkosh (25-5-1, 6-1 WIAC) claimed the opener, 2-1, before securing its seventh straight victory over UW-Stout (17-15, 3-5) and 19 of the last 20 meetings in the series via the walk-off triumph in the nightcap as Mary Kate Quaid (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) laced a double to right-center field with one out in the 13th frame to bring home Emma Bohn (Rosendale/Laconia). The 13-inning marathon was the Titans' longest game of the season.
 
Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot) picked up the win in both ends of the doubleheader to improve her record to 15-1 on the year. Sanford went the distance in the first contest and tossed the final inning of the nightcap, concluding the day with one earned run allowed on just five hits across eight total innings pitched.
 
Oshkosh, ranked 16th in NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, outhit the Blue Devils, 16-12, and has not lost at home to Stout since 2012. The shutout marked the Titans' WIAC-leading 10th of the year.
 
The Titans own a one-game lead in the league standings over UW-Platteville (19-11, 5-2 WIAC) with seven contests remaining for both squads.
 
During the first game of the day, the Titans claimed a 1-0 lead in the home half of the second inning and broke a 1-1 tie on Brianne Lopez's (Volo, Ill./Grant Community) double that plated Olivia Baugnet (De Pere/De Pere) with what proved to be the winning run during the fourth frame.
 
Oshkosh opened the scoring on Baugnet's RBI groundout that brought home Emma Bohn (Rosendale/Laconia). Stout later knotted the score at 1 during the top of the third inning on a two-out Stephanie Kuhn double that plated Payton Dolecki.
 
Sanford went on to pitch around leadoff singles in the fifth and seventh innings, and a leadoff walk during the sixth frame. Sanford and the Titans escaped the fifth frame with the lead following an inning-ending strikeout that stranded the potential tying run at third base. Oshkosh then ended the sixth inning on a double play as Bohn snagged a line drive and threw to Amanda Martineck (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) at first base ahead of diving runner.
 
Stout had a runner at third base with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, but a foul out to Quaid behind the plate capped the Oshkosh victory.
 
Sanford allowed one run on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts on the way to the complete-game win.
 
Bohn and Quaid both had two of Oshkosh's seven hits.
 
Blue Devils starting pitcher Jennalyn Mallmann (5-2) suffered the complete-game loss after yielding two runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.
 
During the thrilling nightcap, Oshkosh starting pitcher Grace Nardi (Marquette, Mich./Negaunee) and her counterpart, Stout's Sarah Wilkins, kept the game scoreless through 10 innings, but neither factored into the decision despite combining to strand 19 baserunners.
 
Nardi wriggled out of several jams as Stout left two runners aboard in the third inning and the bases loaded during the fourth frame. In the 10th inning – the last of Nardi's career-long outing – Titans center fielder Sarah Hammerton (Appleton/Appleton West) gunned down a runner at the plate for the second out. Nardi then concluded her day with a flourish, striking out Rayni Bresnahan with the go-ahead run on first base.
 
Wilkins was equally up to the task as Oshkosh did not advance a runner past first base until two were out in the home half of the sixth inning. The Titans later had a runner at second base with one out during the eighth frame, but Wilkins retired the next two batters to thwart the rally.
 
Wilkins went on to keep Oshkosh scoreless through 12 innings before departing for relief pitcher Olivia Ott. Wilkins held the Titans to seven hits – all singles – and five walks while striking out 10 after entering the day with a conference-leading 9.2 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
Brianna Bougie (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) held the Blue Devils scoreless on one hit across two-plus innings out of the Oshkosh bullpen. She struck out one without issuing a walk.
 
Sanford, who inherited runner at first and no outs in the top of the 13th inning, got a double play off the bat of the first batter she faced as Donna D'Addabbo popped up a bunt to Olivia Ullman (Denmark/Denmark) at third base. Ullman then fired to second baseman Haylie Wittman (Kaukauna/Kaukauna), who was covering first base on the bunt attempt, to clear the bases. Sanford, who eventually got a flyout to cap the top of the 13th inning, currently leads the WIAC in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games and shutouts.
 
Bohn greeted Ott, the new Blue Devils pitcher, with a sharp single up the middle to open the fateful bottom of the 13th frame. Ullman sacrificed Bohn to second base, and Quaid smashed the only extra-base hit of the contest by either team to the right-center field gap to allow Bohn to score the game-winning run without a throw.
 
Lopez and Ullman both went 2-for-5 to pace the Titans. Wittman added a hit and three walks for Oshkosh.
 
Ott (5-8) was charged with the loss, surrendering one run on two hits in one-third of an inning.
 
Elly Holden had two of Stout's seven hits.
 
Oshkosh went into the day ranked third nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.51, fifth in ERA at 1.56 and ninth in WHIP ratio at 1.06 while also pacing the conference in double plays turned (11), fielding percentage (.970) and shutouts. After Saturday the Titans, who turned a pair of double plays in both games, lowered their ERA to 1.45 and their WHIP ratio to 1.05.
 
The Titans remain at home to host UW-River Falls (8-22, 1-6 WIAC) for a league doubleheader starting at noon Sunday (April 26) at Mary Beth Nienhaus Softball Complex.