The Warhawk softball team won two close games against UW-Oshkosh Tuesday afternoon taking the first game 2-1 and the second 5-3. UW-W remains undefeated in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at 4-0 and improve to 16-6 overall this season.

Game One Box
Game Two Box
Photo Gallery (courtesy of Joy Kowald)

Game One Notes
Game one=small ball.

Whitewater scored the first run of the game in the third inning after Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Baldwin (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton), and crossed the plate on an Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) single.

Oshkosh's Kelley Koebler doubled to start the sixth and was driven in two batters later by Lisa Hart's single up the middle. The Whitewater defense buckled down the rest of the inning. The Titans had three runners in scoring position but the Warhawk defense didn't allow another run to cross the plate.

Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) singled through the left side to start Whitewater's half of the sixth. Emily Muche (Van Dyne/Winnebago Lutheran) came in to pinch run for Epifanio and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kate McDonnell (Aurora, IL/West Aurora). The next batter, Jordyn Gaza (Mundelein, IL/Carmel Catholic) doubled down the left field line to bring in Muche from second and give Whitewater the 2-1 lead.

LeBeau and Gaza topped UW-W in the batter's box going 2x3 with one RBI each.

Junior lefty Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) went the distance from the hill allowing just three hits while stiking out six and walking three. Stang improves to 7-2 this season.

Game Two Notes
Game two=long ball.

The Titans struck first scoring one in the top of the second. The Warhawks answered in their half of the inning. Back-to-back singles from Lauren Cruz (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West) and Epifanio put the first two batters on base for UW-W. 

McDonnell bunted for a base hit to load the bases. Gaza and Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) reached on fielder's choices with Oshkosh opting to take throw the runners at third out at home. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Shauna Binsfeld (Cedarburg/Grafton) drew a walk to score McDonnell and tie the game at one apiece. A strikeout ended the inning with the Warhawks leaving three on the bases. 

Eerily similar to the second inning, the fourth inning followed suit with the Titans scoring one in the top of the inning and the Warhawks answering in the bottom with a run of their own. 

Oshkosh brought one more in in the top of the fifth after a hit batter stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a single. 

Again, the Warhawks answered, but this time didn't just match Oshkosh. Epifanio led off the inning with a homerun over center field. A fly out determined the first out. Gaza and Rankins teamed up with back-to-back singles. Muche came in to pinch run at second for Gaza. Binsfeld drew her third walk of the day to load the bases. Haley Krueger (Beach Park, IL/Waukegan) came through with a pinch hit single to score Muche. A hard line drive to the left side from Courtney Baldwin (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) was caught by the shortstop who then doubled off the runner at third to end the inning.

Cruz rounded out the scoring in the game with a line drive homerun over straight center field in the bottom of the sixth to put the Warhawks up 5-3.

Four Whitewater hitters notched a two-hit game with Rankins going 2x3 and Baldwin, Cruz, and Epifanio each going 2x4 from the plate. 

Katie Boyle (Greendale/Thomas More) started the game on the mound for UW-W going 4.2 innings allowing six hits and three runs while striking out two and walking just one. Stacy Bahr (Racine/Park) put in 1.1 innings of relief work allowing one hit and striking out one while picking up her third win of the season. Stang came in for Oshkosh's final inning at the plate to pick up her first save of the season.

The Warhawks are scheduled to face UW-Stevens Point Wednesday, April 14 beginning at 3:00 pm in more double header action at van Steenderen Field.

For additional information: Brenda Volk