(UW OSHKOSH ATHLETICS) – JACKSON MISS – Belhaven University (Miss.) scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and defeated UW-Oshkosh, 5-1, during the first game of the NCAA Division III Championship Jackson, Miss. Super Regional on Thursday (May 21) at Belhaven’s McLeod Field.
Belhaven (41-10), ranked eighth in the country by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, needs to win one more game over 15th-ranked Oshkosh (33-9-1) during the best-of-three series to clinch a berth in the eight-team World Series that commences May 28 in Salem, Va.
The Jackson Super Regional continues with Game 2 at 1 p.m. Friday (May 22). A second championship game, if necessary, would be contested at 3:30 p.m. if Oshkosh prevails during Game 2.
The first three Belhaven batters of the game reached base safely on a single, double and walk to load the bases. The Blazers plated all three baserunners via a pair of sacrifice flies and a throwing error.
The Blazers extended their lead to 4-0 in the home half of the fifth frame as Ellie Williamson delivered a two-out single to bring home Maddie Bruner.
Oshkosh was held hitless until Brianne Lopez laced a single to left field in the top of the fourth inning.
The Titans later broke up the shutout in the sixth frame as Morgan Miller led off with a single, advanced to second base on an Olivia Baugnet sacrifice bunt and scored on Sarah Hammerton’s single to left field with two outs. Trailing 4-1, Oshkosh eventually brought the potential tying run to the plate following an Olivia Ullman hit, but Blazers starting pitcher Macy Funderburk thwarted the rally with a strikeout.
Belhaven tacked on an insurance run during the bottom of the sixth inning as Liberty Gillihan’s double scored Melissa Lopera to create the final score.
Funderburk (19-5) went the distance in the Belhaven pitcher’s circle, limiting the Titans to one run on four hits. She struck out four without issuing a walk.
Belhaven outhit the Titans, 8-4, and struck out just once. Three Blazers doubles accounted for all of the game’s extra-base hits. Belhaven entered the super regional round leading the division in doubles while batting .350 on the year and scoring 7.2 runs per contest.
Williamson went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in to lead the Blazers, who also received two hits from Bruner.
Titans starting pitcher Kiran Sanford (16-4) was charged with the loss, yielding four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk across 4.1 innings.
Brianna Bougie relieved Sanford and held the Blazers to one run on three hits over the final 1.2 frames. She walked one and struck out one.
Oshkosh headed into super regionals third nationally with a 1.39 ERA. The Titans surrendered as many as five runs for the first time since a 5-0 setback to UW-La Crosse on April 17.
The Titans are seeking to clinch a super regional title with two road wins on the final day for the second time in three years. Oshkosh accomplished the feat at reigning Division III champion Trine University (Ind.) in 2024.
Sanford named Freshman of the Year: Kiran Sanford became the first Titan named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Region VIII Freshman of the Year on Tuesday (May 21) in the midst of her breakout debut season with UW-Oshkosh.
As the region freshman of the year, Sanford is a finalist for the NFCA’s NCAA Division III National Freshman of the Year award, which will be announced on Tuesday (May 26) ahead of the start of the Division III Women’s College World Series in Salem, Va.
The award annually honors the outstanding athletic achievement of freshmen in NCAA Division III. The regional finalists and the winner are chosen by the NFCA Division III All-America Committee, which includes one representative for each of the 10 regions. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from an NFCA-member institution.
Sanford, the WIAC Newcomer and Pitcher of the Year and a member of the NFCA All-Region VIII First Team, owns a 1.37 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP across 137.2 innings pitched. She has a 16-4 record with one save in 28 appearances, including 24 starts, and has struck out 168 batters against 27 walks while holding opposing batters to a .211 average.
The Two Rivers native threw 10 complete games this season and shut out opponents six times. Her 18 strikeouts against St. Norbert College on March 1 in her third career start are the second most in program and WIAC history. She eclipsed double-digit strikeouts three more times so far this season.
Headed into Thursday’s game, Sanford ranked 10th in Division III with 166 strikeouts and seventh with 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings, 13th with a 6.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 17th with a 1.29 ERA and 16th with a 0.93 WHIP, 21st with six shutouts, 30th with 5.10 hits allowed per seven innings, and 38th with 16 victories.
Oshkosh (33-9-1, 11-3 WIAC) won the WIAC regular season title for the sixth time in program history (1984, 1985, 2007, 2021, 2024, 2026) and qualified for the Division III tournament as an at-large bid.
The Titans won the St. Louis, Mo. Regional with a trio of one-run victories. They opened their 13th Division III appearance with a 1-0, 12-inning win over Illinois College on May 14 before defeating host Washington University in St. Louis by matching scores of 2-1 on May 15 and 16, advancing to the Super Regional for the third time in program history.
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