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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Kristen Haider

Softball

Three more wins for the Yellowjackets

Kristen Haider went 5-9 over the past three games, all Yellowjacket wins.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3

The warm temperatures and abundant sun seems to be in agreement with the Yellowjacket softball team. With a pair of victories on Saturday and Monday's win over Clarkson, the Yellowjackets have now won five in a row since arriving in The Sunshine State.

Yellowjackets 5, College of Wooster 4

The Yellowjackets opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Melissa Clark (Carlton, Minn./Carlton) was hit by a pitch and quickly stole second base to move into scoring position. A ground out moved her to third base and she came around to score on a Kristen Haider (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) single to give the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead.

Wooster answered in the top of the second inning with a pair of runs to take the lead.

In the bottom of the third inning the Yellowjackets regained the lead. With one out Haider and Niemela drew back-to-back walks. Haley McNeil (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) then singled to score one run and tie the game. The Yellowjackets took the lead on a Sasha Fjeran (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors) ground out.

Wooster scored a single run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game, but the Yellowjackets took the lead back for good in the bottom of the inning, and they scored the runs with two outs.

After the first two hitters of the inning were retired, Clark was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Britnee Blake (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) walked. A fielder's choice and an error loaded the bases. Niemela walked to plate one run and wild pitch brought home another to make it a 5-3 game.

Wooster got one run back in the top of the sixth, but were held off the board in the top of the seventh to give the Yellowjackets the one-run win.

Nicolle Gross (Coleraine, Minn./Greenway) allowed four runs on six hits in the complete game win, walking three and striking out four to improve to 5-2 on the year.

The Yellowjackets only had five hits in the game, led by McNeil who went 2-for-3.

Yellowjackets 6, Alfred State 0

The second win of the day on Saturday was all about the pitching for the Yellowjackets, as Sarah Hendrickson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) and Gross combined to shut down Pioneers.

Hendrickson got the start and earned the victory, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing just three hits. She walked just one and struck out nine before yielding to Gross who finished the game off with 1.2 perfect innings.

In the bottom of the second the Yellowjackets scored the eventual game-winning run on a single by Taylor Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), scoring Katie Wilke (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo).

The Yellowjackets pushed the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third before blowing the game open in the fourth.

Johnson and Blake reached on back-to-back singles with one out. Niemela then reached on an error, which proved costly as both Johnson and Blake scored to double the lead. The final run of the inning came when Wilke walked with the bases loaded.

Alfred State got a threat going in the top of the sixth inning. With one out the Pioneers loaded the bases, and that's when Head Coach Roger Plachta went to the bullpen, summoning Gross to the pitching rubber. Gross induced a pair of ground outs to close out the inning and keep the shutout in tact.

Gross helped her own cause in the top fo the sixth with an RBI single to make it a 6-0 game. She then went back to the rubber and set the Pioneers down in order to give the Yellowjackets the win.

Johnson, Haider, and Blake all had two hits to pace the Yellowjackets, who out-hit the Pioneers 12-3 on the day.

Yellowjackets 10, Clarkson 2

After an off day, the Yellowjackets returned and wasted little time dispatching the Clarkson University Golden Knights, scoring in each of the first four innings in ending the game early, 10-2 in just five innings.

Blake led off the game with a single and later scored on an RBI ground out from Niemela and the Yellowjackets were off and running. In the second inning Clarkson helped the Yellowjackets, with a pair of errors and a wild pitch giving the Yellowjackets three runs.

In the third Wilke singled with two outs to score Clark and make it a 5-1 game. Later the lead went to five as the Yellowjackets scored a run on a perfectly executed double steal.

The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring with a four-run fourth inning.

Gross led off the inning with a double to left field and went to third on an error. After an out and a bunt single by Blake, Haider sent a single to right, scoring Gross. Niemela followed with a single to left, scoring Blake. Later, Clark doubled , scoring two more runs to put the Yellowjackets in double digits.

Clarkson scored single runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings.

Offensively the Yellowjackets out-hit the Golden Knights 13-5. Blake, Haider, and Clark each had two hits to lead the Yellowjackets. Gross, McNeil, and Blake each scored twice in the game, while Niemela and Clark each drove in two.

Gross benefitted from the offense and once again got the job done in the circle. She pitched a complete game, going five innings and allowing two unearned runs on five hits. She didn't walk any and struck out five.

The victory gives the Yellowjackets (9-4) five straight wins. They will look to stretch the streak to six games on Tuesday when they take on Brockport State University of New York at 9:00 a.m., followed by a game with the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth at 11:00 a.m.
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