Patko Carries Yellowjackets Past Northland

Box Score

Yellowjackets 6, Northland 4

The Yellowjacket baseball team was back in action Sunday, as they took on Northland College in a game that was originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 13. Despite the game being played at home, the Yellowjackets were actually the road team in this matchup with the Lumberjacks.

It did not take long for the Yellowjackets to get on the board in this one. Seth Wage (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) led off the second with a single up the middle, then proceeded to steal second. Chad Patko (Stone Lake, Wis./Hayward) then laid down a bunt single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./West) continued his recent tear when he laced an RBI single up the middle to drive in Wage. Patko then stole third before being driven in by a Greg Pitts (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) single to left field. Three batters later Drew Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) hit a single to center field to drive in Osness, giving the Yellowjackets a 3-0 lead.

Northland would get two of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth on one swing. Alex Elliot was able to square up on a pitch from Yellowjacket starter Brock McDermid (Pulaski, Wis./Pulaski) and drive it over the left field fence for a 2-run homerun.

The Yellowjackets would strike right back in the top of the fifth. After Wage reached on a throwing error from the Northland shortstop, Patko came up to bat. It did not take him long to turn a 3-2 game into a 5-2 game, as he launched a ball over the 346 sign in left-center for his first homerun of the season.

The Yellowjackets would score once more in the seventh to go up 6-2, and it was a good thing they got that run, as Northland attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Thankfully, the rally was cut short thanks to a phenomenal defensive play, as Patko raced to catch a shallow fly down the left field line to end the game.

McDermid earned the victory in this game, his first of the season, as he allowed two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in six innings. McDermid is now 1-1 on the season. Boone Elkins (Riverside, Calif./Arlington) pitched the final three innings to earn his first career save.

The Yellowjackets (8-8, 6-0 UMAC) will be back at home Monday, April 18 when they host Finlandia University. The first pitch from Ted Whereatt Field is set for 1:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#19 Brock McDermid: P; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#8 Chad Patko: IF; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

#11 Greg Pitts: OF; 6' 0"; Sophomore; R/R

#32 Seth Wage: OF; 5' 10"; Senior; R/L

#24 Alex Osness: IF; 6' 1"; Freshman; L/R

#25 Drew Thomas: OF; 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#30 Boone Elkins: P; 6' 1"; Freshman; L/L

Players Mentioned

#19 Brock McDermid
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: P

#8 Chad Patko
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#11 Greg Pitts
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#32 Seth Wage
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/L
: OF

#24 Alex Osness
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L/R
: IF

#25 Drew Thomas
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#30 Boone Elkins
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L/L
: P