Game Thirteen Recap
OSHKOSH BLANKS ST. THOMAS TO SET UP WIAC SHOWDOWN
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The second-seeded UW-Oshkosh softball team relied on starter Ronessa Stampfli for seven scoreless innings as the Titans won 4-0 over top-seeded St. Thomas (Minn.) in the NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship in Eau Claire.
With the third-ranked Tommies eliminated, No. 14 Oshkosh moves on to face sixth-seeded UW-Eau Claire in a rematch of last year’s regional tournament championship game. Eau Claire won the Eau Claire regional over Oshkosh with games of 6-3 and 7-3 in 2007. The two teams have also faced off in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship in two of the past three years.
The Titans were not able to provide Stampfli with run support until the fourth when Kayla Kodet and Aerial Spang each collected RBI singles with two out.
The fifth saw another pair of Titan runs. Amie Heinzelman singled with one down and moved to third when the third baseman committed an error during Dani Olsen’s at-bat. With two runners in scoring position, Whitney Tornow had a bunt to the first baseman, who went home with it. Heinzelman came in safe however. Sydnee Wyss would provide a sac fly to bring in the other run during the frame.
Stampfli allowed six hits and a walk while totaling eight K’s. Maria Bye also had a complete game and allowed four runs – three earned. They came off four hits and a walk.
The rematch between Oshkosh and 25th-ranked Eau Claire takes place at 2 p.m. today at Gelein Field.
