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Tom Fairbanks

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Yellowjackets take two from Platteville

Tom Fairbanks


"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes...it rains." 

The legendary quote from the movie Bull Durham is a perfect descriptor for the Yellowjackets first home series of the 2012 season.  Scheduled for Saturday, the Yellowjackets and UW-Platteville got three innings in before the game was suspended due to rain.  The two teams picked up where they left off on Sunday afternoon and the Yellowjackets snapped a four-game losing skid, taking the first two games from Platteville and once again climbing over the .500 mark thanks to a little bit of luck in the first game and brilliant pitching in the second.

Game 1
Yellowjackets 7, Platteville 6
Box Score

The first game of the weekend series got underway on Saturday afternoon and the Pioneers got to Yellowjacket starter Nick Bursik (Woodbury, Minn./Stillwater) early, jumping out to an early lead.  Levi Nye led off with a triple and scored on Cody Luther's sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 before the Yellowjackets ever stepped to the plate.  The Yellowjackets, however, got the equalizer in the bottom of the second when #T.J. Evanson# reached on an error and went to second on a sacrifice.  He would come around to score on a Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) single to tie the game.

Luther drove in his second run of the game in the top of the third, singling to right field to make it 2-1.  The lead bulged to 4-1 when Trevor Kattre blasted a Bursik pitch high over the center field wall for the two-run home run. 

Following the third inning the rains came, and the game was postponed until Sunday.  When play resumed the Yellowjackets pulled back to within one in the bottom of the fourth.  Robbie Veith (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) walked and stole second before advancing to third on Fairbanks' second single of the game.  A two-out walk to Mike Doescher (Wausau, Wis./) loaded the bases and Casey Dittel (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) singled sharply to right field, scoring two and making it a 4-3 game.

Platteville got a run back in the top of the fifth when Kyle Gauger (Spooner, Wis./Spooner), who replaced Bursik in the game, struggled with his control.  A lead-off walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases.  A bases-loaded walk to Kattre forced home another run, making it 5-3.  In the seventh, with Bobby Tyndall (Ashland, Wis./Ashland) on in relief of Gauger, Luther smacked an RBI single to center field and the lead was again three runs at 6-3.

The Yellowjackets answered in the bottom of the seventh with a single run of their own.  Wyatt Soderquist (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a Jeff Miller (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) single and it was 6-4.

Tyndall put two runners on the eighth inning but escaped unscathed thanks when Shaun Marshall (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) played a ball in left field and relayed to Veith who threw home, cutting down Jon Lewerke and keeping it a 6-4 game. 

In the bottom of the inning the Yellowjackets rallied, thanks to some timely hitting and a little luck.  With two outs Tony Remund (Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) and Soderquist coaxed back-to-back walks out of pitcher Shane Murphy, who had been cruising through the Yellowjacket order.  Miller followed with a base hit, scoring Remund and it was 6-5.  In the next at bat, Soderquist and Remund took off on a double steal.  The throw sailed into left field, scoring Soderquist, and an error by the left fielder allowed Miller to score, giving the Yellowjackets their first lead of the game at 7-6.

Tyndall cruised through the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order.  Tyndall threw three scoreless innings, giving up three hits to pick up his first win of the season.  He is now 1-1 on the year.  Murphy took the loss for the Pioneers, falling to 0-5.

Miller, Fairbanks and Dittel all had two hits for the Yellowjackets, who pounded out eight hits in the game.  Miller and Dittel drove in two runs apiece.

Luther was 3-3 and drove in three runs for Platteville.

Game 2
Yellowjackets 3, Platteville 1
Box Score

The second game was all about pitching, as neither team was able to get the offense rolling.  An unearned run in the top of the first was the only blemish on the day for Yellowjacket starter Ethan Branum (Nisswa, Minn./Brainerd), who pitched a complete game gem.

Luther reached on an error, stole second and went to third when the throw sailed into center field.  A Kattre ground out brought him home and for the second game in a row the Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

With one out in the bottom of the second inning, Veith legged out an infield single and Fairbanks walked.  Shawn Lanners (Buckman, Minn./Royalton), who got the start at designated hitter, launched a long fly ball of the center field wall, scoring both runners and pushing the lead to 2-1.

From there the pitchers took over.

Platteville had three hits in the top of the fifth inning as a rally was brewing, but a 4-3 double play killed the threat.  They also threatened in the sixth, but Fairbanks cut down the would-be tying run at the plate to end the inning.

After the seventh-inning stretch the Yellowjackets scratched out an insurance run.  With one out, Remund doubled to right center.  Soderquist followed with a double to left center, plating Remund with the final run of the day.

Branum was in control the rest of the way, facing the minimum number of hitters over the final three innings, retiring three by strikeout.  Branum went the distance, allowing just one unearned run on five hits while walking two and striking out seven.  It was the third complete game of the year for Branum, who improves to 4-2 on the season.

Miller, Fairbanks and Lanners all had two hits for the Yellowjackets, who pounded out eight hits for the second game in a row. 

Adam Theis was tagged with the loss for Platteville, falling to 1-6 on the year.  Theis gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits.  He walked one and struck out three.  Nate Poelmann finished the game on the hill for the Pioneers. 

Five different players had singles in the game for Platteville.

The Yellowjackets (14-13, 5-7 WIAC) and the Pioneers will play another doubleheader on Monday, April 23 at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minn.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
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