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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Greg Pitts
Jade Jensen

Baseball

Eagles Too Much For Yellowjackets

Greg Pitts had two of the Yellowjackets' nine hits Saturday.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

After earning their first WIAC win of the season Wednesday, the Yellowjacket baseball team hit the road for the final time in 2015 for a weekend series against UW-La Crosse. The Eagles entered the game 19-10, with 12 of those victories coming in conference play, good for third place in the league. The Yellowjackets, meanwhile, were bringing up the rear in their final season in the WIAC and were hoping to do a little damage to the Eagles' playoff hopes. That damage may have to wait until Sunday, as La Crosse emerged victorious twice Saturday.

La Crosse 4, Yellowjackets 2

La Crosse starter Ben Cejka was in control of things early, baffling the Yellowjackets and holding them hitless until the sixth inning. Not to be outdone by Cejka was Yellowjacket starter Damian Wiblin (La Crosse, Wis./Logan), who was steady over the course of seven innings. Pitching in his hometown, Wiblin kept the Yellowjackets in the game and put them in position to tie the game late, only to have the offense sputter, and the Eagles took the opener 4-2.

After a pair of scoreless innings the Eagles broke through in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, La Crosse catcher Ben Morgan doubled to the gap in right center field, clearing the bases and giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

La Crosse extended the lead with single runs in fifth and sixth innings, courtesy of run-scoring singles up the middle by Shane Adler and Alex Cordova, respectively.

Cejka cruised through seven innings, giving up just one hit and only allowing five base runners. Things changed in the eighth inning as the Yellowjackets rallied and finally got on the score board. Derek Cagle (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) legged out an infield single to lead off the inning. Alex Petroski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) followed with a double to right center, and the Yellowjackets had the makings of a big inning. Cagle scored when Greg Pitts (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) grounded out, and Petroski did the same on a Matt Vold (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) ground out.

With the bases cleared the Yellowjackets got the rally restarted when Alex Quinones (Waterloo, Iowa) doubled and Brady Flaherty (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) followed with a single, to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Cejka shut the door and preserved the two-run lead.

La Crosse brought closer Jameson Sadowske in to pitch the ninth, and he set the Yellowjackets down in order, giving the Eagles the win.

The Yellowjackets finished the game with five hits. La Crosse had eight hits in the game, led by Taylor Kohlwey and Travis Buxton-Verstegen with two apiece.

Wiblin took the loss on the mound for the Yellowjackets, falling to 1-5 on the campaign. He allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven innings before giving way to Trevor Stone (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn). Stone allowed one hit in one inning of work.

La Crosse 7, Yellowjackets 0

La Crosse wasted little time getting out in front in the second game. After the Yellowjackets were set down in the top of the first the Eagles used three hits and a big Yellowjacket error to jump ahead 3-0 after one inning.

The Eagles scored single runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings. In the bottom of the third La Crosse scored on an RBI-single by Adler and plated another run in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Kohlwey. A Bryce Barsness home run in the sixth pushed the lead to 6-0. La Crosse scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly to make the final score 7-0.

It was another tough game at the plate for the Yellowjackets, as they were only able to muster four hits. No hitter had more than one hit in the game. When they did get runners on they were unable to do anything with them, leaving men on base in every inning except the second, seventh, and eighth frames.

Richard Vanden Branden (Neenah, Wis./Saint Mary Central) started for the Yellowjackets and pitched five innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits. He walked one and struck out one. Riley Grandson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) pitched the rest of the way and allowed one run on four hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out one.

Kohlwey had a three-hit game, while Cordova and Barsness each had two hits to pace La Crosse offensively.

Joe Miller shut the Yellowjackets down for seven innings, giving up just the four hits and walking one to go along with three strikeouts. He was relieved by Logan Mallek, who pitched the final two innings.

The Yellowjackets (5-26, 1-15 WIAC) and the Eagles will play two more games Sunday. Game time from Copeland Park is set for 12:00 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Derek Cagle

#6 Derek Cagle

OF
6' 0"
Senior
R/R
Brady Flaherty

#10 Brady Flaherty

C
6' 4"
Senior
R/R
Riley Grandson

#27 Riley Grandson

P
5' 11"
Senior
L/L
Alex Petroski

#21 Alex Petroski

SS
5' 9"
Senior
R/R
Alex Quinones

#24 Alex Quinones

C/3B
5' 11"
Senior
R/R
Trevor Stone

#15 Trevor Stone

P
5' 11"
Sophomore
R/R
Richard Vanden Branden

#4 Richard Vanden Branden

P
6' 1"
Sophomore
R/R
Matt Vold

#23 Matt Vold

IF
6' 0"
Senior
R/R
Damian Wiblin

#9 Damian Wiblin

P
6' 1"
Senior
L/L
Greg Pitts

#11 Greg Pitts

OF
6' 0"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Derek Cagle

#6 Derek Cagle

6' 0"
Senior
R/R
OF
Brady Flaherty

#10 Brady Flaherty

6' 4"
Senior
R/R
C
Riley Grandson

#27 Riley Grandson

5' 11"
Senior
L/L
P
Alex Petroski

#21 Alex Petroski

5' 9"
Senior
R/R
SS
Alex Quinones

#24 Alex Quinones

5' 11"
Senior
R/R
C/3B
Trevor Stone

#15 Trevor Stone

5' 11"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Richard Vanden Branden

#4 Richard Vanden Branden

6' 1"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Matt Vold

#23 Matt Vold

6' 0"
Senior
R/R
IF
Damian Wiblin

#9 Damian Wiblin

6' 1"
Senior
L/L
P
Greg Pitts

#11 Greg Pitts

6' 0"
Freshman
R/R
OF