Skip To Main Content

University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

schedule

Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Tom Fairbanks
Larry Radloff-d3photography.com

Baseball

Yellowjackets, Blue Devils split twinbill

Tom Fairbanks homered twice and drove in eight runs in Wednesday's doubleheader split with Stout.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The extended winter buried the field at UW-Stout, but the Yellowjackets and Blue Devils found a way to get their Wednesday doubleheader in, thanks to the turf fields at the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston, Wis.

Yellowjackets 18, Stout 14

The opening game of the doubleheader resembled more of a slow-pitch softball game rather than a college baseball game, with both teams committing three errors and both teams employing multiple pitchers throughout the contest. The teams combined for 32 runs and 29 hits in the opener.

It was the Yellowjackets who had the first big inning of the game, as they sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs.

A couple of errors helped the Yellowjackets along the way, but two home runs didn't hurt either. With one run already in and two runners on, Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) drilled a pitch over the fence in right center field for a three-run home run to push the Yellowjackets ahead 4-0. Sam Holden (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) then doubled and two hitters later freshman Tyler Evans (Andover, Minn./Andover) sent another ball over the fence and the Yellowjackets were up 7-0 before the Blue Devils came to the plate.

The game may have looked out of hand, but the Blue Devils had other ideas and took the lead with a big inning in the bottom of the third.

Yellowjacket starter Jake Lewis (Proctor, Minn./Proctor) was perfect through the first two innings but started the third by walking the first two hitters. A double and a single followed to score them both and get Stout on the board. Charlie Meyer and Jared Francois each added two-RBI hits and when all was said and done the Blue Devils sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight times to take an 8-7 lead over the Yellowjackets.

The Yellowjackets immediately answered to regain the lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs Brady Flaherty (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) walked and Fairbanks hit his second home run of the game, sending the ball over the right field fence to put the Yellowjackets ahead 9-8. Two hitters later after a Holden single Alex Quinones (Waterloo, Iowa/) got in on the act, sending one the opposite way and clearing the wall in right center field for another two-run home run and an 11-8 lead. Before the inning was done Alex Petroski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) doubled to add another run and the Yellowjackets led by four.

Stout got a run back in the bottom of the fourth but the Yellowjackets added to the lead, scoring three times in the top of the fifth. Again it was Fairbanks doing the damage, this time bringing two runs home with a double to center field. The Yellowjackets would plate one more run in the inning and Stout would score two in the bottom half and after five innings the Yellowjackets led 15-11.

The Blue Devils made it a three-run game in the bottom of the sixth, but in the top of the seventh the Yellowjackets got the run back and then some as Evans connected for his second home run of the game, a three-run shot to give the Yellowjackets an 18-12 edge.

Stout scored a run in the seventh and another in the ninth to make the final score 18-14.

Seven different Yellowjackets had hits in the game as they banged out 16 as a team. Four players - Fairbanks, Holden, Evans, and Petroski each had three hits on the day. Fairbanks scored four runs while Flaherty and Evans each scored three times. Fairbanks led the way with seven runs batted in, while Evans added five RBI.

Lewis got the start and lasted just over two innings before being relieved by Alex Beers (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong). Beers pitched 4.2 innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He walked two and didn't have any strikeouts on his way to earning his third win of the year, improving to 3-1. Damian Wiblin (La Crosse, Wis./Logan) pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Yellowjackets.

Charlie Pelzer had three hits and Meyer had three runs batted in to lead the Blue Devils.

Stout 8, Yellowjackets 6

It looked like game two would follow the same pattern as the first game, with the Yellowjackets again jumping out to a first inning lead.

Wyatt Soderquist (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) singled and went to second two hitters later when Tony Remund (Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) walked. Flaherty brought home one run with a single and Fairbanks followed with another single to give the Yellowjackets the lead. A wild pitch brought home another run and the Yellowjackets were up 3-0.

A Pelzer home run in the bottom of the second got the Blue Devils on the board, but after that the starting pitchers settled in and the game stayed at 3-1.

In the bottom of the fourth inning a sacrifice fly and a double tied the game for the Blue Devils. They took the lead with a single run in the bottom of the fifth.

The Yellowjackets tied the game in the top of the seventh. Remund, who doubled with one out, came around to score on a passed ball to tie the game at 4-4.

Stout took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ryan Freitag connected for a two-run home run to push the lead to 6-4. Francois added an RBI-double later in the inning and the Blue Devils led 7-4. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth pushed the score to 8-4.

The Yellowjackets made it interesting in the top of the ninth. Down four Remund led off with a double and pinch hitter Jordan Koepp (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) reached on an error to put two on. Pinch runner Chad Patko (Stone Lake, Wis./Hayward) and Remund advanced on a passed ball to put two runners in scoring position. Holden brought both runners home with a one-out double to make it 8-6. After a walk to Quinones, Stout changed pitchers and reliever Patrick Gullickson, who would earn the save, induced a double play to close out the game.

Holden led the Yellowjackets in the game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Remund also had two hits. The Yellowjackets had eight hits in the game.

Graham Miller (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland) go the start for the Yellowjackets and pitched 6.1 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits. He walked two. Grant Schneider (Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial) relieved Miller and allowed just one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Travis Elwood (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) closed out the game on the mound for the Yellowjackets, pitching an inning and giving up a run on one hit.

Freitag went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs batted in to pace Stout.

The Yellowjackets (10-7, 2-4 WIAC) will travel to UW-Stevens Point for a four-game series this weekend. Games are scheduled to start Saturday, April 12 at 12:00 p.m.
Print Friendly Version