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Wisconsin-Superior
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Seth Wage
Jade Jensen

Baseball

Yellowjackets Come Up Short Again at Whitewater

Seth Wage had two hits and scored a run today for the Yellowjackets.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The opening of conference play was anything but enjoyable for the Yellowjacket baseball team, as they dropped a pair of games on the road against the defending national champions and the current WIAC favorites. A day later the Yellowjackets had another crack at UW-Whitewater, but the Warhawks were up to the task and send the Yellowjackets home with a pair of losses for the second day in a row.

Whitewater 6, Yellowjackets 5

For the second day in a row it appeared the Yellowjackets were going to fall to defeat in convincing fashion, but a late rally had them in position to take a lead in the final inning. The rally came up just short, however, and Whitewater held on for a 6-5 victory.

Yellowjacket defense gave the Warhawks a pair of runs in the first, as an error on what would have been a ground out plated one run and put another runner on third. Casey Power followed with a single and it was 2-0 Warhawks after one. Whitewater added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times, including two runs on a Steve Chamberlain double to move out to a 5-0 lead.

The Yellowjacket bats finally woke up in the top of the fifth. Having only scratched out one hit to that point in the game, the Yellowjackets knocked out four hits in the frame to make it a game. Matt Vold (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) started things with a one-out single and Sam Holden (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) followed with a single to left. Jordan Koepp (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) then cleared the bases, as the designated hitter pulled a pitch over the wall in right field for his first round tripper of the year, cutting the Whitewater lead down to 5-3. The Yellowjackets later got Seth Wage (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West), who reached on a single, as far as third base, but they were unable to bring him across with the fourth run of the inning.

In the top of the sixth the Yellowjackets kept things going. With one out they loaded the bases and were primed to not only tie the game but potentially take the lead, but after a pitching change new pitcher Ankur Shah induced a ground-ball double-play to extinguish the threat and preserve the two-run lead. The double play served as a double whammy of sorts, as Whitewater plated a run in the bottom of the inning to build the lead back up to three, 6-3.

Alex Petroski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) led off the eighth inning with a single and quickly stole second to move into scoring position. After Alex Quinones (Waterloo, Iowa) walked, both runners moved up a base on a failed pick-off attempt. Brady Flaherty (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) made the error hurt, bringing Petroski home on a ground out to again pull the Yellowjackets to within two.

In the ninth the Yellowjackets again put a threat together. With two down pinch hitter Nik Mattson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) doubled down the right field line. Wage followed with an infield single, moving Mattson to third. Another failed pick-off attempt sent Wage to second and brought Mattson home, bringing the Yellowjackets to within one. A wild pitch then allowed Wage to advance to third. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Alex Petroski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) was in the box, but he popped out, brining the rally to a halt and letting Whitewater sweat out the 6-5 win.

As he has been all season, starter Richard Vanden Branden (Neenah, Wis./Saint Mary Central) was solid on the hill, pitching a complete game for the fourth time in 2015. Vanden Branden gave up six runs (four earned) on 10 hits in eight innings. He struck out one.

At the plate Wage went 2-for-4, leading the way as the Yellowjackets had seven hits in the game.

Chamberlain had three hits and three runs batted in for Whitewater.

Whitewater 10, Yellowjackets 0

The first game of the day was as close as it gets, but the day's second offering was anything but. Whitewater took the lead early and used a big fifth inning to roll to a decisive victory and a series sweep of the Yellowjackets.

Whitewater took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a single run before adding a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. They blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five times on six hits in the frame and chasing Yellowjacket starter Kyle Gauger (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) from the game. With two runs on the board Jonah Lundequam (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland) replaced Gauger, but he didn't fare much better. Three more runs crossed the plate by the time Lundequam retired the side.

The Warhawks scored a single run in the seventh and then invoked the mercy rule in the eighth, scoring a single run and ending the game when the week's nemesis, Mikole Pierce, singled to center field with the bases loaded to make the final score 10-0.

The only threat of the game for the Yellowjackets in the fourth when Quinones and Flaherty started the inning with back-to-back singles. Both runners were moved into scoring position on a sacrifice, but both were stranded when the Warhawks snuffed out the threat.

For the game the Yellowjackets had six hits, led by Flaherty and Quinones who had two apiece.

Gauger was tagged with the loss for the Yellowjackets. He went four-plus innings and allowed six runs on nine hits. He walked one and struck out one. In relief Lundequam gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in two-plus innings. He walked three to go along with one strikeout.

Whitewater pounded out 15 hits in the game and had six players with multiple-hit games, led once again by Chamberlain who had three hits.

The Yellowjackets (3-13, 0-4 WIAC) have a quick turnaround and will return to the road Tuesday, April 7 when they play a non-conference game against UW-Milwaukee. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. at Henry Aaron Field.
 
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Players Mentioned

Brady Flaherty

#10 Brady Flaherty

C
6' 4"
Senior
R/R
Kyle Gauger

#30 Kyle Gauger

P
6' 0"
Senior
L/L
Sam Holden

#25 Sam Holden

IF
6' 0"
Senior
R/R
Jordan Koepp

#36 Jordan Koepp

IF
6' 2"
Junior
L/R
Nik Mattson

#13 Nik Mattson

C/OF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Alex Petroski

#21 Alex Petroski

SS
5' 9"
Senior
R/R
Alex Quinones

#24 Alex Quinones

C/3B
5' 11"
Senior
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
Seth Wage

#32 Seth Wage

OF
5' 10"
Junior
R/L
Jonah Lundequam

#7 Jonah Lundequam

P
5' 8"
Freshman
L/L

Players Mentioned

Brady Flaherty

#10 Brady Flaherty

6' 4"
Senior
R/R
C
Kyle Gauger

#30 Kyle Gauger

6' 0"
Senior
L/L
P
Sam Holden

#25 Sam Holden

6' 0"
Senior
R/R
IF
Jordan Koepp

#36 Jordan Koepp

6' 2"
Junior
L/R
IF
Nik Mattson

#13 Nik Mattson

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
C/OF
Alex Petroski

#21 Alex Petroski

5' 9"
Senior
R/R
SS
Alex Quinones

#24 Alex Quinones

5' 11"
Senior
R/R
C/3B
Richard Vanden Branden

#4 Richard Vanden Branden

6' 1"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Matt Vold

#23 Matt Vold

6' 0"
Senior
R/R
IF
Seth Wage

#32 Seth Wage

5' 10"
Junior
R/L
OF
Jonah Lundequam

#7 Jonah Lundequam

5' 8"
Freshman
L/L
P