Yellowjackets lose in a run-scoring fest

Lindsay Garay

St. Scholastica 14, Yellowjackets 7
Box Score

DULUTH, Minn.-- The home game that wasn't. That's what Thursday's game with St. Scholastica ended up being for the Yellowjacket softball team. Heavy rains washed things out on Wednesday forcing the teams to reschedule for Thursday, and move what was supposed to be the first Yellowjacket home game of the season to the Saints' Kenwood Field.

Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, the game plan changed after Mother Nature's intervention and instead a single game was played. And this time it was the team on the Minnesota side of St. Louis Bay that came out victorious, riding a 14-hit attack and a big second inning to a 14-7 win over the Yellowjackets.

The Saints came out of the gates early when Merryssa Tiedmann led off the bottom of the first with a single down the left field line. Theresa Tauer replaced Tiedmann on the bases after a fielder's choice. Up next was Bonnie Kowalczyk and she blasted a two-run home run over the right field scoreboard to give the Saints an early 2-0 lead.

The Yellowjackets came back in the top of the second inning, scoring four runs of their own. Lindsay Garay (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern High School) set the tone with a double to right-center field. Garay made it home on a Kayla Blom (Alborn, Minn./Albrook High School) triple to narrow the Saint's lead to 2-1. After a Whitney Brugman (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) walk the Yellowjackets tied the game at 2-2 when Kayla Anderson (Clayton, Wis./Clayton High School) singled to right field, driving in Blom. Taylor VanDamme (Superior, Wis./Superior High School) gave the Yellowjackets a 4-2 lead when she singled up the middle, bringing home Brugman and Anderson.

The Saints came back with a huge bottom of the second inning that saw them score nine runs. Darcy Roach, Andrea Wick, and Barb Malyuk led the inning off with three straight singles to load the bases for Tiedmann, who slammed a three-run triple down the left field line to give the Saints a 5-4 lead.

Having regained the lead, the Saints piled on to put the game out of reach. A Shauney Moen infield single put runners on the corners, and Tauer would drive in Tiedmann with a double to right center field to push the Saint's lead to 6-4. The Yellowjackets intentionally walked Bonnie Kowalczyk to load the bases and Emily Schiro followed with a fielder's choice, scoring Moen to make it 7-4. With the bases still loaded, Roach came to the plate and cleared them, launching a grand slam over the left field fence to widen the margin to 11-4.

The Yellowjackets responded with three runs in the third inning. Ashlee Olson (Superior, Wis./Superior High School) led off with a single and Elle Niemala followed with a walk. Garay and Blom would come up with back-to-back RBI singles to narrow the margin to 11-6. Anderson drove in the last run of the game for the Yellowjackets when she hit into a double play, scoring Garay to make the score 11-7.

The Saints added a run in the bottom of the third inning when Malyuk led off with a triple and came around to score on a Tiedmann ground out to widen the lead to 12-7.

St. Scholastica closed out the scoring in the game in the fifth inning when Malyuk led off with a bunt single. She would later advance to third on an error and score on a wild pitch to make it 13-7. Tiedmann would later single up the middle and advance to second base on a ground out. She would score on a Tauer single to right field, making the final score 14-7.

Garay started on the rubber, pitching a complete game. She gave up 14 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits while walking one and striking out seven. Blom led the Yellowjackets at the plate with three hits. VanDamme and Blom each drove in a pair of runs.

The Yellowjackets (8-15, 2-6 WIAC) will return to conference play on Saturday, April 21 where they will face UW-Stevens Point. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m. and can be viewed live via webcast at www.ifan.tv.

Print Friendly Version