OSHKOSH, Wis.- Mary Kate Quaid (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) hit a walk-off two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift UW-Oshkosh softball to a 4-3 victory over Lakeland University during the Titans' outdoor home opener Wednesday (April 8) at the Mary Beth Nienhaus Softball Complex. The nightcap ended in a 3-3 tie after seven frames due to darkness.
 
Oshkosh (17-4-1), ranked 16th in NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, played errorfree defense and narrowly outhit Lakeland (10-9-1), 15-14, on the day. The Titans, who played six home games to open the year inside the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex Dome, now own a 19-2-1 record against the Muskies since 2000.
 
Quaid went a combined 4-for-6 with three runs batted in to pace the Titans, who also received three hits apiece from Olivia Baugnet (De Pere/De Pere) and Brianne Lopez (Volo, Ill./Grant Community). Lopez tripled among her three hits, stole a base, scored once and drove in two runs.
 
In the outdoor home opener, Oshkosh held a 2-0 lead after six innings but had to come back after Lakeland scored thrice in the top of the seventh frame.
 
Olivia Ullman (Denmark/Denmark) crossed the plate on a two-out error during the third inning to provide the Titans a 1-0 lead. Quaid later plated Ullman with a single to extend the advantage to 2-0 in the home half of the fifth frame.
 
Lakeland's three-run seventh inning featured an RBI single from Abby Heitman ahead of a go-ahead, two-out, two-run single by Callie Linders.
 
The Titan comeback was sparked by an Ullman leadoff single. Ullman then stole second base with one out and Emma Bohn (Rosendale/Laconia) at the plate. Bohn eventually walked to bring up Quaid, who laced the first pitch she saw for a double to right-center that scored both Ullman and Bohn for the thrilling victory – the Titans' ninth straight in the series.
 
Quaid finished the contest 3-for-4 with a career-best three RBI while Ullman had a pair of hits, a walk and a career high-tying three runs scored.
 
Lakeland suffered the setback despite outhitting the Titans, 8-7. Linders and Maddie Raske led the Muskies with two hits apiece.
 
Grace Nardi (Marquette, Mich./Negaunee) (5-0) picked up the win in relief, tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in relief of starting pitcher Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot).
 
Nardi entered the game with a 2-1 lead, two Muskies in scoring position and no outs. She struck out the first two batters she faced before Linders' two-out go-ahead single.
 
Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision as Lakeland's Natalie Ziebell exited after limiting Oshkosh to just one run – unearned – on three hits and two walks across the first three innings.
 
Sanford went the first six frames for the Titans, yielding three runs on seven hits. She struck out five without issuing a walk.
 
Muskies reliever Jacie Jones (0-2) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits and three walks in 3.1 innings of work. Jones, who went into the day 10th in the country with a 0.74 earned run average, had given up just two earned runs across her first 19 innings pitched this season.
 
During the nightcap Oshkosh was once again cruising along with a 3-0 lead after five innings until knotting the score on Heitman's three-run homer in the top of the sixth frame.
The Titans opened the scoring on a Lopez triple that brought home Baugnet in the home half of the third inning. Oshkosh increased its lead to 3-0 during the bottom of the fifth frame as Lopez plated pinch runner Morgan Miller (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) with a single. Lopez then scored on a single by Bohn.
 
The Muskies' sixth-inning comeback began with a one-walk by Callie Morrow. The next Lakeland batter hit a ground ball to Bohn at third base. Bohn threw to second base, but Morrow was deemed safe, and Heitman cleared the bases and knotted the score with a home run to left field.
 
The Titans stranded a runner in scoring position during the bottom of the sixth inning, and Nardi, who came on in relief of starter Brianna Bougie (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West), pitched around a two-out single in the top of the seventh frame.
 
With darkness looming Oshkosh had two runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh inning as Kelly Selzer (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) walked and Baugnet singled. After both runners moved into scoring position with two outs following a Lopez bunt, Muskies right fielder Kendyll Holub preserved the tie with a diving catch near the foul line.
 
Baugnet accounted for a career high-tying three of Oshkosh's eight hits. Lopez added a pair of hits and two RBIs for the Titans.
 
Holub had two of Lakeland's six hits.
 
The tie was Oshkosh's first since a 2-2 decision at home against St. Norbert College on April 1, 2005.
 
Oshkosh commences conference play with a doubleheader at UW-Eau Claire (20-6) on Saturday (April 11). First pitch is set for 1 p.m.