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Wisconsin-Superior
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T.J. Evanson

Baseball

Yellowjackets, Titans split Sunday

T.J. Evanson


The Yellowjacket baseball team entered the weekend looking to steal the WIAC-opening series at UW-Oshkosh, a team that has dominated the all-time series, and a team that was chosen to finish third in the WIAC pre-season poll, two pegs above the Yellowjackets.  They didn't get the series victory, but they didn't go down to defeat, either.

After a split in the first doubleheader of the weekend on Saturday, the Yellowjackets and Titans did the same on Sunday, splitting the doubleheader and the weekend series.

Game 1
Oshkosh 7, Yellowjackets 6
Box Score

In the two Saturday games, the Yellowjackets and the Titans waited to get on the board, going scoreless through three innings before the Yellowjackets broke through in the fourth.  Things were certainly different on Sunday, with both teams scoring plenty of runs early.

Tony Remund (Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) singled to lead off the game, and two outs later he scored on a two-run home run from #T.J. Evanson# to make it 2-0.  It was the fifth homer of the year for Evanson, tops on the Yellowjackets.

The Titans came back in the bottom of the inning.  With the bases loaded and one out Kyle Van Abel singled, scoring two to tie the game.  Trey Demler added an RBI single of his own and the Titans grabbed a 3-2 lead after one.  A two-run home run by Michael Polcyn in the bottom of the second stretched the lead to 5-2.

In the top of the fifth inning the Yellowjackets tied it up.  Casey Dittel (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) led off with a walk and was replaced on the bases by Remund on a fielder's choice.  Remund moved to second on an error.  Soderquist singled and two batters later Evanson singled, bringing Remund home to cut the Oshkosh lead to 5-3.  Robbie Veith (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) and Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) had back-to-back RBI singles with two outs and the Yellowjackets tied it up.

Oshkosh rallied to take the lead for the final time in the bottom of the sixth.  Van Abel walked, stole second and went to third on a sacrifice fly.  Two batter later Beattie drove him home and it was 6-5.  The Titans scored their final run, unearned on an error, to make the game 7-5.

Dittel reached base to lead off the ninth, moving to second on an error.  After a ground out moved him to third, Soderquist brought him around on a sacrifice fly to close out the scoring at 7-6.

Soderquist and Evanson led the Yellowjackets with two hits apiece.  The Yellowjackets had eight hits in the game.  Evanson also scored twice and drove in three runs.  Polcyn went 3-4 with a home run, scored twice and drove in two to lead the way for the Titans.

Nick Bursik (Woodbury, Minn./Stillwater) got the start and took the loss for the Yellowjackets, giving up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in six innings to fall to 1-3 on the year.  He walked three and struck out three.  Andrew Lange (Swanville, Minn./Little Falls) came on to pitch two scoreless innings, striking out one in the process.

Troy Mrkvicka was the third pitcher of the game for the Titans, getting the win, allowing one run on one hit in four innings. 

Game 2
Yellowjackets 6, Oshkosh 3
Box Score

Just as they did in the first game, the Yellowjackets jumped on the board early, putting up two runs in the first and five total in the first three innings, delivering an early knockout punch in the rematch.

For the second straight game Remund led off with a single.  One out later Jeff Miller (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) singled, and an error moved him to second and scored Remund to stake the Yellowjackets to the lead.  A Veith sacrifice fly brought home Miller to make it 2-0.

With one out in the top of the second, Dittel walked and two hitters later Soderquist singled to put runners on the corners.  Miller came up next and his double plated both runners to stretch the Yellowjacket advantage to 4-0. 

In the top of the third Fairbanks teed off, hitting a one-out home run to right field and the lead was 5-0.

Oshkosh broke through in the bottom of the third.  With one on, Polcyn reached on an error that brought home their first run of the game, breaking the Yellowjacket shutout.  Two hitters later Brock Guetzke singled, scoring Polcyn and it was 5-2.

Things stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh.  Michael Swift led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch with two outs.  Moments later Tyler Kamps doubled, scoring Swift to trim the lead to 5-3.

The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring with an insurance run in the top of the ninth.  Fairbanks led off the ninth with a single and went to second on a Shaun Marshall (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) sacrifice, then went to third on a ground out.  With two down Dittel came through in the clutch, singling to left field, scoring Fairbanks, making the final score 6-3.

The Yellowjackets outslugged the Titans 11-5 in the second game.  Miller led the way, going 3-5 with with a run scored and three RBI.  Fairbanks and Dittel also had two hits in the game.  Swift had a team-best two hits for Oshkosh.

Dan Genrich (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) got the start in the second game and picked up the win, improving to 3-1.  Genrich gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings.  Cody Johnson (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) came on in relief and picked up his third save of the year, hurling three scoreless innings.

The Yellowjackets have now won four of the last six games in the series.

The Yellowjackets (11-8, 2-2 WIAC) are off for ten days before returning to the field on Wednesday, April 11 when they travel to Menomonie, Wis. for a doubleheader with UW-Stout. 
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