With
another large, vocal, and heavily partisan crowd
on hand, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh finally
found a way to make the fans cheer.
The
Titans, losers of a 6-1 heartbreaker Friday
night, rallied with two runs in the top of the
seventh to post a 5-4 win over Trinity College
in a 2003 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
Series elimination contest Saturday afternoon
at Fox Cities Stadium.
Oshkosh
head coach Tom Lechnir, still missing the presence
of his staff ace, Jordan Timm, went through
four pitchers in the first three innings of
play, finally settling on unheralded freshman
Phil Glinski, whom Lechnir considered his last
option on the day.
“We
just kept changing and changing those pitchers,”
Lechnir said. “I didn’t think Phil
wanted it in the fourth, but we knew he was
the last guy that was going to be with the ball.”
Glinski
pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing eight
hits, notching a strikeout and walking just
two. His effort was bolstered by an opportunistic
offense that, despite leaving 16 men on base,
was highly effective with two outs.
In
fact, all five Titan runs came with two outs.
After falling behind 3-1, Oshkosh got on the
board in the third, thanks to an RBI single
from Lucas Lechnir. In the fifth, Oshkosh added
two more to get within one at 4-3. After loading
the bases, however, the Titans rally was squashed
when designated hitter David Young was thrown
out at second.
The
Titans finally got the lead in the seventh on
the most curious of plays. Mike Mau singled
to right to drive in the tying run and set up
a situation with men on first and third with
two out.
What
looked to be a sequel to a rally-killing baserunning
blunder on Friday night turned into the pivotal
moment of the game, and perhaps the season.
Young looked to be caught in a rundown between
first and second, but what would have been a
sure pickoff throw to second ended up in center
field, allowing Young to go to second, and Brian
Foley crossed the plate with the go-ahead run.
Holding
their first lead in the tournament, the Titans
clung to the back of Glinski and held on through
a shaky final inning that came to an end when
Lucas Lechnir’s throw to second narrowly
beat out a sliding Eric Shattenkirk.
“He
did get picked off,” Lechnir said. “We
weren’t going to take the bat out of (Kyle)
Heckendorf’s hands.
“Sometimes
those things just work.”
Mau
finished the day hitting 3-for-5, with one run
and an RBI. National Player of the Year Vince
Mancuso, Lucas Lechnir, and Heckendorf each
picked up a pair of hits for the Titans.
Trinity
ended its first trip to the championship series,
as well as its season, with a 27-12 record.
Second baseman Jeff Natale picked up two hits
and drove in a pair of runs, and shortstop Jayme
Dorr got a pair of hits with a run and an RBI.
Matt
Krant took the loss for the Bantams, his third
of the season.
In
building what is now a 37-7 record, the Titans
offense has never been much of a problem. On
Saturday, it was Glinski that earned the praise
of his coach.
“He’s
an outstanding young man,” Lechnir said.
“He clutched up for us.
“He’s an outstanding young man,
a hard worker, and he knows just what being
on this team and a part of this program is all
about.”
Oshkosh
will move on in the elimination round, facing
the winner of the loser of the Anderson/Eastern
Connecticut game Sunday at noon.
Written By Andrew
Wagner
Photos By Lehigh Photo
|
