Fadness' Heroics Lift UW-Oshkosh into Regional Title Game

Box Score

     Mickey Fadness hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th inning and also tied the game with a run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift UW-Oshkosh into the NCAA Division III regional championship game with a 5-4 win over St. Thomas on Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

     The Titans� victory assures the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference of a berth in the Division III baseball championship series next week in Appleton as they face UW-Stevens Point at 4 p.m. for a berth to the series. UW-Oshkosh is now 35-11 overall, while St. Thomas ended its season at 34-12.

     UW-Oshkosh trailed 4-3 entering the final inning and had one out when pinch-hitter Andy Newbauer was hit by a pitch. Pete Berg then hit a line drive to shortstop for the second out and Bryan Schwebke followed with a ground ball to shortstop that looked to end the game, however, it took a bad hop at the edge of the infield grass and sailed over the shortstop�s head. Fadness fell behind in the count 0-2 and then ripped a single back up the middle to tie the game. Jason Fosler followed with an infield single, but the Tommies� Will Montgomery worked out of the jam.

     Montgomery worked four and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and just the one run. He pitched 14 and two-thirds innings over the past three days.

     UW-Oshkosh turned to Brad Bolton in the 10th inning and he stranded one Tommies� baserunner in the 10th before inducing St. Thomas� fourth double play of the game in the 11th. St. Thomas brought in senior Riley Bosch in the 11th and he retired the first two batters, including a flyout to the warning track by Schwebke before Fadness� homer to left center.

     The game was scoreless until the fourth when Chris Bullis hit a run-scoring double for the Tommies and UW-Oshkosh answered with run-scoring singles by Mike Waupoose and Ryan Demmin off St. Thomas starter Erik Olson, who went five and one-third innings.

     St. Thomas tied the game in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Dan Leslie following two straight passed balls for an unearned run off Titans� starter Adam Roos, who gave up two earned runs over six and two-thirds innings. The Titans regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on a pinch-hit run-scoring single by Brock Wetenkamp.

     The Tommies took the lead in the eighth following a strange development. Bullis led off the inning with a single, but then after an infield single by Leslie, rounded second base too far. UW-Oshkosh got Bullis out in a rundown and Leslie was able to make second on a close play. The Titans then ran a pickoff play at second and Leslie was safe again on a close call before Eric Fleming lined a double to put St. Thomas ahead.

     Schwebke finished three-for-six for the Titans, who had 16 hits and used 19 of their 23 available players. Louie Salmen was three-for-five for the Tommies, who used 17 different players and beat the Titans 5-1 in the opening round of the tournament.