UW-L Falls Twice in Extra Innings to UW-Oshkosh

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 14, 2008

La Crosse, Wis. – The UW-La Crosse baseball team dropped a pair of 11-inning games to UW-Oshkosh Monday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Titans, ranked 21st in NCAA Division III, won the opener, 7-6, before taking the nightcap, 7-5.

UW-La Crosse drops to 12-14 overall and 5-9 in the WIAC while UW-Oshkosh improves to 14-5 overall and 9-3 in the conference.

In the opener, Brad Demmin scored the game-winning run in the top of the 11th on an Mike Brehm wild pitch. After Pete Berg opened the inning with a single, he was forced at second on Demmin’s bunt attempt. Kyle Kannenberg singled to send Demmin to third who later scored on the wild pitch.

Each team scored four times in the first inning. Demmin, Jason Fosler and Mike Waupoose each had RBI singles for UW-Oshkosh. Darren O’Donnell had a two-run double for UW-L to cut the lead to 4-2 before Dusty Otto knocked in a run on a single to make it 4-3. Josh Weber tied the contest with a double to score Otto.

The Eagles took a 5-4 lead in the second on O’Donnell’s sacrifice fly before the Titans took a 6-5 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth on Kannenberg’s two-run double. UW-L tied it at 6-6 in the sixth inning on Travis Kerr’s sacrifice fly.

UW-Oshkosh failed to score in the eighth after getting the bases loaded with no outs. Brehm got Demmin to pop-out to third base and Kannenberg grounded into a double play. UW-L had two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth, but Kerr lined into a double play.

The Eagles put two runners on base with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but Johnny Strnad was picked off first and Tyler Peterson flied out to center to end the inning.

Jeremy Rubens (5-1) earned the win for UW-Oshkosh, going 5.1 innings, allowing three hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Curt Hendricks started, pitching 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs and three walks while striking out two. Nolan Fadness and Berg each finished 3-for-6 at the plate for the Titans while Demmin scored three times.

Brehm (1-1) was the loser, going 4.0 innings, allowing five hits and one run. Ross Benitz started for the Eagles, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits and six runs (three earned) with two strikeouts. Storm Gram was 3-for-5 with two run scored while O’Donnell finished with three RBI.

In the nightcap, Demmin hit a three-run home run in the top of the first for a 3-0 lead. The Titans added a run in the second on a Fadness RBI single before the Eagles tallied twice in the bottom of the inning on a pair of groundouts. UW-L cut the lead to 4-3 in the fourth on Tony Peterson’s solo home run.

UW-Oshkosh took a 5-3 lead in the seventh on Kannenberg’s run-scoring single, but UW-L scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Tyler Peterson had an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-4 and the Eagles tied it on Weber’s fielder’s choice.

Dennim then hit the game-winning single in the 11th to score Fadness. Demmin later scored on Fosler’s fielder’s choice.

Rubens (6-1) earned the win in game two as well, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and two unearned runs. Evan Matson started for the Titans, going 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs (one earned) with four strikeouts. Fadness was 4-for-6 at the plate with three runs scored while Kannenberg was 3-for-6. Demmin finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI.

Brandon Walczak (0-1) took the loss for UW-L, going 1.0 inning, allowing three hits and two runs with two strikeouts. Greg Gibson started, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks with three strikeouts. Gram, Kerr and Tony Peterson each had two hits for the Eagles. Peterson and Joey Casper scored twice. Weber had two RBI.