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Matt Vold
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Baseball

Yellowjackets, Pioneers each win one

Matt Vold had six hits, scored twice and drove in three runs in Thursday's split at Platteville.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Traditionally, the Yellowjacket baseball team, after its spring trip, will open the conference season by playing several series on the road, giving the northern locale of Superior some additional time to shake off the effects of winter before opening at home. In 2014, opening day at home was Thursday, meaning the Yellowjackets could expect a steady diet of home games the rest of the way.

Even with Wednesday's snow storm, the Yellowjackets were able to be the home team in their series opener with UW-Platteville. Unfortunately, they had to do that more than 300 miles away from Superior, at Kendall Murray Field in Platteville.

Platteville 6, Yellowjackets 5 (14 innings)

On Monday the Yellowjackets had their doubleheader with UW-Stevens Point canceled due to weather. They got some of those innings back on Wednesday, although maybe they shouldn't have.

The Yellowjackets struggled defensively, committing five errors in the opening game and time and again giving the Pioneers chances to stay in the game, and ultimately get the victory, 6-5 in 14 innings.

In the bottom of the third the Yellowjackets opened the scoring, when Alex Petroski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) singled and went to second base on a walk. Matt Vold (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) then came up with an RBI single to give the Yellowjackets the 1-0 lead.

Platteville answered with two runs in the top of the fourth, and scored two more in the top of the fifth to jump ahead 4-1. The big blow was a two-run single in the fifth by Ryan Lehmann.

The Yellowjackets trimmed the deficit to one in their half of the fifth inning. Tyler Evans (Andover, Minn./Andover) led off with a single and went to second on a ground out. After Wyatt Soderquist (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) walked Vold drove in his second run of the game with a single, and in the process moved Soderquist to third. Tony Remund (Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) would bring Soderquist home on a sacrifice fly to make the game 4-3.

Vold continued his big game by starting a rally in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out single. He went to second when Remund was hit by a pitch, then moved up another base on a Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) single that loaded the bases. A wild pitch brought Vold home with the tying run, and two hitters later the Yellowjackets again loaded the bases. They were unable to take the lead, however.

With the game tied at 4-4 in the last of the ninth inning the Yellowjackets again were able to load the bases, but again had the door closed on them.

The teams went down in order in the tenth, then in the 11th the Pioneers regained the lead, stringing together two singles and a fielder's choice to make it 5-4.

Once again the Yellowjackets answered to keep the game going, and again Vold had a hand in it. Vold led off the inning with a single before being lifted for pinch runner Chad Patko (Stone Lake, Wis./Hayward). Remund sacrificed Patko into scoring position. An intentional walk and hit batter again led the bases, giving the Yellowjackets a golden opportunity to gain not only the tie, but get the win. A sacrifice fly from Alex Quinones (Waterloo, Iowa/) plated Patko, tying the game. But that was all the Yellowjackets would get and the game dragged on.

Both teams had chances going forward. Platteville stranded two runners in the 12th and left the bases loaded in the 13th. The Yellowjackets also got a runner on base in the 13th but were unable to score him.

In the top of the 14th a Ryan Duva RBI single gave the Pioneers a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the inning the Yellowjackets went down in order, giving Platteville the win.

Vold finished the game 4-for-6 and drove in two runs and Fairbanks went 3-for-5 to pace the Yellowjackets, who had 12 hits total.

Alex Beers (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) started for the Yellowjackets and pitched 6.1 innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits. He walked two and struck out six. Graham Miller (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland) came on in relief and he, too, pitched 6.1 innings. Miller allowed one run on four hits while walking four and striking out two. Jake Lewis (Proctor, Minn./Proctor) pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits.

Yellowjackets 7, Platteville 4

After the marahon opener, the Yellowjackets rebounded in the second game, using a big first inning to propel them to a series-evening win.

Yellowjacket starter Kyle Gauger (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) set the Pioneers down in order in the top of the first inning, allowing the Yellowjackets to jump to the early lead.

Soderquist led off with a single and Vold doubled to right field to put two runners in scoring position. Soderquist scored on a wild pitch and an RBI-single from Fairbanks brought home Vold to get the Yellowjackets off and running. Fairbanks stole second to move into scoring position and Sam Holden (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) brought him home with a triple. Evans then singled up the middle to score Holden and the Yellowjackets led 4-0 after one inning.

After batting around in the first the Yellowjackets added another run in the second. Soderquist led off with a walk and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Vold then singled up the middle, bringing home Soderquist and the lead was 5-0.

Gauger cruised through the first four innings, keeping the Pioneers off the scoreboard. That changed in the top of the fifth when Zach Iverson drove in a run with a double to right field.

The Yellowjackets answered in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs. With one out Fairbanks yanked one over the fence in right field to push the lead back up to five. It was the 11th home run of the season for the senior outfielder. Holden then walked and two hitters later went to third on a single to center by Jordan Koepp (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids). With runners on the corners and two out the Yellowjackets made it a 7-1 game when Jake Irlbeck (Centerville, Minn./Centennial) pulled a single through the left side, scoring Holden.

Platteville scored three times in the top of the sixth inning to again pull to within three. George Jester, III drove in two of those runs with a double, and then he later scored on an error to make the score 7-4.

Each team stranded runners in the seventh and eighth innings. In the ninth Platteville got a runner on base with two outs, but Gauger shut them down and closed out the game to get the win.

Gauger went the distance, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits. He struck out three and walked one to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The Yellowjackets pounded out 15 hits in the game. Seven players had multiple hit games. Soderquist, Fairbanks, and Holden all scored two runs, and Fairbanks also drove in a pair to lead the Yellowjackets.

The Yellowjackets (13-8, 5-5 WIAC) and the Pioneers will play two more games on Friday, April 18 in Platteville. Games will get underway at 12:00 p.m.
 
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