Wisconsin-Oshkosh ousts USM from Div. III tourney

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Aaron Richartz’s two-run homer keyed a three-run fifth inning rally that built a 6-2 lead and Wisconsin-Oshkosh hung on to eliminate defending national champion University of Southern Maine 6-5 in the NCAA Division III College World Series here Friday night.

The Titans are now 36-7 and 1-1 in the tourney while USM wound up at 30-11 after losing twice in the tourney.

With the Titans leading 3-2, Tim Jorgensen drew a walk off USM reliever Tim Sullivan to open the fifth inning. Sullivan was replaced by Steve Giroux and Richartz greeted him with his two-run blast.

John Vander-Heuvel followed with a base hit and Chad Kubiak tripled him home.

USM got two runs back in the seventh on Geoff George’s single and Pete Misiaszek’s second two-run homer of the game. The Huskies made it 6-5 in the eighth on Scott Dutton’s double, a wild pitch, and Gary Williamson’s single.

But Steve Hopfensperger relieved winner Bill McCurdy and notched the save. McCurdy hurled 7 1/3 innings of five-hit, five-run baseball. He struck out two and walked five.

Misiaszek staked USM to a 2-0 lead with his two-run homer in the second inning, but the Titans tied it in the third at the expense of USM starter and loser Shawn Brown, 3-2.

Craig Lieder opened the third with a solo homer, Brian Kieffer and Jorgensen each singled and Scott Mann hit an RBI double.

The Titans took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Lieder drew a two-out walk, Kieffer singled and Brent Pattridge chased Brown in favor of Sullivan with a run-scoring base hit.

Southern Maine 020 000 210 – 5 6 2 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 002 130 00x – 6 12 0

S. Brown, Sullivan (4), Giroux (5), Welch (5) and Misiaszek; McCurdy, Hopfensperger (8) and VandenHeuvel