Blugolds Escape from Yellowjackets

Nicolle Gross

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Due to the undesirable field conditions around Superior, the Yellowjackets were forced to switch their originally scheduled home game to Carson Park in Eau Claire. The weather conditions also played a role in the Yellowjackets' rare ten-day layoff from competition. In the first day of a five-day road trip, the Yellowjackets were looking to ignite some type of spark in their quest to qualify for the WIAC playoffs. Things didn't go as planned as the Yellowjackets dropped two games to UW-Eau Claire by scores of 2-0 and 15-2.

UW-Eau Claire 2, Yellowjackets 0

Despite a strong pitching performance from Nicolle Gross (Coleraine, Minn./Greenway), a lack of offense and defensive blunders proved to doom the Yellowjackets. The Blugolds began to capitalize on the Yellowjackets' mistakes in the third inning when Amanda Houle reached on an error by the infield and advanced to second base on a Kenzie Winning sacrifice bunt. This set up a Taylor Pierce RBI-double to left field to give the Blugolds a 1-0 lead.

The Blugolds continued to walk through game one knowing all they needed was strong pitching and defense to hold on for the victory. That was the case but Pierce knew she had gas left in the tank. It showed in the fifth inning when she smashed an RBI-triple to right field that scored Winning, who walked, to extend the Blugold lead to 2-0.

Gross pitched a complete game for the Yellowjackets, she surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits.

UW-Eau Claire 15, Yellowjackets 2

The Blugolds turned the offensive volume to full blast en route to a 15-2 victory. With the loss, the Yellowjackets continue their struggles in WIAC competition and drop their record to 1-9. However, the Yellowjackets broke a two-game scoreless drought with the pair fifth inning runs.

Time wasn't wasted for the Blugolds when Pierce walked in the opening inning. She later came around to score when Nikki Brooks hit an infield single and advanced on a throwing error to make the score 1-0 Blugolds. Brooks eventually scored on a Deanna Gilane single to extend the Blugold lead to 2-0.

The Blugolds added three more runs in the second inning when Houle and Winning came up with back-to-back singles. This set the tone for back-to-back-to-back RBI-singles courtesy of Amanda Fischer, Casey Arnold, and Brooks to make the score 5-0.

Leah Wolff paced the Blugolds in the third inning with a double to left field, and later came around to score on Houle's RBI-double to make the score 6-0. Fischer continued her strong day at the plate with an RBI-single that scored Houle to give the Blugolds seven runs. The Blugolds closed out the scoring when Pierce hit an RBI-single up the middle to make the score 8-0.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Blugolds poured a jar of salt water on the Yellowjackets' wound in the seventh inning with seven runs. Fischer, Pierce, and Arnold were a big part of that with RBI hits, but Yellowjacket errors also played a role. A couple two-out errors on the Yellowjackets' behalf helped the Blugolds score their final three runs to make the score 15-0.

The Yellowjackets avoided a shutout in the seventh inning when Traci Popple (Cornell, Wis./Cornell) and Samantha Simonson (Colfax, Wis./Colfax) came up with a single and walk respectively before advancing a base on a wild pitch. They both scored on back-to-back RBI-groundouts by Britnee Blake (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and Kristen Haider (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) to narrow the score to 15-2.

Gross and Sarah Hendrickson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) collectively gave up 15 runs (11 earned) on 17 hits on the rubber for the Yellowjackets.

The Yellowjackets (18-13, 1-9 WIAC) will take on UW-Stevens Point tomorrow, April 24 in Stevens Point, Wis. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

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