UW-Oshkosh used late-game rallies to put away UW-Platteville Thursday and remain in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball title hunt. The Titans swept the doubleheader 3-0, 14-2 in the Pioneers' final home games of the year.
The Titans improved to 20-12 overall and 9-1 in the WIAC, one-half game behind undefeated UW-Eau Claire. The Pioneers slipped to 10-18, 5-7.
Ronessa Stampfli shut down the Pioneers in game one, not allowing a runner past second base while throwing a six-hitter. The Titans led 1-0 until the top of the seventh, when Sarah LeMahieu led off the inning with a home run and Whitney Tyriver hit an RBI double.
In the second game, the Pioneers were within 5-2 and threatening with the bases loaded in the third inning, when Stampfli came back on in relief to record a strikeout. The Titans then salted the game away with a five-run sixth inning, including Tyriver's grand slam, followed by Jenelle Schmidt's solo home run. Thirteen of the 14 Titan runs came after two outs in innings. All but two runs were unearned, thanks to three Pioneer errors that kept innings alive.
Tera Burr and Ashley Strnad each had two hits in the second game, while Maggie Digman drove in both runs. Katie Jo Crubaugh had two hits in the opener. Tyriver finished the day with six hits, getting three in each game.
The Pioneers head north for the weekend, playing at UW-River Falls Saturday and at UW-Stout Sunday.
(Please note that both the weekend games will be updated late those nights after we return from Madison for baseball's home games with UW-Oshkosh.)
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