Tommies Pitching Combo Holds Down Titans

Box Score

     A surprise starter and a seasoned ace combined for a strong pitching outing as the University of St. Thomas won its opening game at the NCAA Division III baseball regional with a 5-1 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

     Tommies� freshman Jake Kraemer, who pitched only 12 innings all season, threw three and one-third scoreless innings in his third start of the year before giving way to senior Riley Bosch, who allowed one run and five hits the rest of the way.

     St. Thomas is now 33-10 and advances to play on Thursday at 7 p.m. against either Ripon or St. Olaf. UW-Oshkosh fell to 32-11 overall and will take on St. Scholastica in an elimination game on Thursday at noon.

     UW-Oshkosh starter Adam Bretl limited the Tommies to three hits and no runs over the first four innings before Brad Bolton took over a scoreless game in the fifth. In the top of the inning, the Titans had runners at first and third with none out against Bosch, but failed to score. St. Thomas got a two-out single from Louie Salmen and then No. 9 hitter Bryan Johnson drilled a home run to right field for a 2-0 lead.

     The Titans closed to within 2-1 in the eighth as Jason Fosler hit a two-out, solo home run, but the Tommies extended their lead with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning, including a two-run single by Eric Fleming.

     Bosch set the Titans down in order in the ninth to finish a game that lasted just one hour and 53 minutes and improve to 7-3 for the season. Despite the outstanding pitching performances, St. Thomas struck out just once and UW-Oshkosh struck out only three times.

     Fleming was two-for-four for the Tommies, while Pete Berg was two-for-three and Fosler was two-for-four for the Titans.