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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Brittany Thomfohrda
Jade Jensen

Softball Bryce Harp

Pitching and Defense Carry Yellowjackets to Championship Round

Box Score

Yellowjackets 1, St. Scholastica 0 (11 innings)

To say what happened at Kenwood Field Friday afternoon was spectacular would be a bit of an understatement.

The game saw the Yellowjackets take on rival St. Scholastica with a chance to move onto the Championship round of the UMAC tournament, and anybody who got a chance to either watch it unfold live, or via webcast got their money's worth.

This matchup quickly became a pitcher's duel, as Yellowjacket starter Macy Hanson (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg) and St. Scholastica starter Chrisi Mizera allowed only one hit a piece through the first six inning, with each hit coming in the first inning. Hanson pitched 1-2-3 innings from the third to the sixth, while Mizera had 1-2-3 innings from the third through the seventh.

This game felt as though whoever scored first would win. Well, Mother Nature decided that the Yellowjackets and Saints would have to wait for a while before deciding who would come out on top of the rivalry. As St. Scholastica was coming up to bat, a storm front moved in and the game ended up being delayed. Two hours and 53 minutes later, the St. Scholastica grounds crew got the field back into playable shape and these two teams were able to go back at it.

With the long delay, Yellowjackets head coach Roger Plachta decided a pitching change was in order, as he sent Sarah Hendrickson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh. Hendrickson picked up right where Hanson left off as she set the Saints down in order in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

The Yellowjackets looked like they had a chance to break the tie in the top of the eight. Shelly Misco (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North) hit a one-out single through the left side and then two batters later Gabby Gidley (Superior, Wis./Superior) shot a two-out single to left center to put runners on first and second. Mizera quickly put an end to the Yellowjacket threat, getting the next batter to foul out to the catcher.

In the bottom of the eight, the Yellowjackets put their defense on display. Following a leadoff single, Kari Shipman (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Frazee) made a great running catch in foul territory for the first out of the inning. The Yellowjackets then ended the inning by turning a 4-6-3 double play to end the Saints threat.

As with nearly every pitching duel, the defense behind the pitchers must be outstanding, and it was no different in the ninth. With one-out the Saints Alexa Bremer sent a ball out towards center field that looked like it might go for extra bases. Katie Wilke (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) made sure that wouldn't happen, as she laid out to make the diving catch for the second out of the inning.

Two-out hitting has been the Yellowjackets savior in these playoffs, and that did not prove truer than in the 11th inning. Sasha Fjeran (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors) led off the inning with a single up the middle, before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gidley. Hendrickson then grounded out to the shortstop for the second out of the inning bringing Brittany Thomfohrda (Cushing, Wis./Unity) to the plate. The senior came through for the Yellowjackets in what may have been the biggest at bat of her career, launching a double to the left field fence to score Fjeran and break the tie.

Despite falling behind 1-0 after an 11 inning marathon, the Saints were not quite ready to call it a game, as they still had a chance to bat. Things looked good right away for the Yellowjackets, as Hendrickson struck out the first batter of the inning. The next batter hit a single to right field, but was erased at second on a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. The Saints then sent Marjaana Dailey in to pinch hit in for their number nine hitter, and it paid off as Dailey hit a single to left field to put runners on first and second.

Then with two outs and two on Bremer came back to the plate for the Saints and sent a fly ball out towards right that looked as though it would score the game-tying and possibly the game-winning run. This time it was Ciarra Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld)'s turn to flash the leather. While Taipale is known more for her bat than her glove, you wouldn't have known that Friday, as she made a diving catch to end the game and send the Yellowjackets to the championship round.

Hanson got the start for the Yellowjackets, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two in six shutout innings. Hendrickson allowed three hits over the final five innings to preserve the shutout and earn her conference leading 19th victory of the season.

Mizera was phenomenal in her own right, allowing only one run on five hits while striking out seven in the complete-game effort.

The Yellowjackets (26-12. 13-3 UMAC) will be back in action tomorrow to face the winner of the elimination game between St. Scholastica and Minnesota Morris. The elimination game is scheduled to begin at noon with the championship game scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. All the games will be played at Kenwood Field on the campus of the College of St. Scholastica.
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Players Mentioned

Sasha Fjeran

#24 Sasha Fjeran

IF
5' 5"
Senior
R/R
Macy Hanson

#22 Macy Hanson

P
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Sarah Hendrickson

#13 Sarah Hendrickson

P
5' 2"
Junior
R/R
Shelly Misco

#14 Shelly Misco

IF
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Kari Shipman

#2 Kari Shipman

OF
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Ciarra Stavang

#9 Ciarra Stavang

OF
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Brittany Thomfohrda

#18 Brittany Thomfohrda

IF
5' 9"
Senior
R/R
Katie Wilke

#8 Katie Wilke

OF
5' 2"
Senior
R/R
Gabby Gidley

#21 Gabby Gidley

IF
5' 4"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Sasha Fjeran

#24 Sasha Fjeran

5' 5"
Senior
R/R
IF
Macy Hanson

#22 Macy Hanson

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Sarah Hendrickson

#13 Sarah Hendrickson

5' 2"
Junior
R/R
P
Shelly Misco

#14 Shelly Misco

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
IF
Kari Shipman

#2 Kari Shipman

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
OF
Ciarra Stavang

#9 Ciarra Stavang

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Brittany Thomfohrda

#18 Brittany Thomfohrda

5' 9"
Senior
R/R
IF
Katie Wilke

#8 Katie Wilke

5' 2"
Senior
R/R
OF
Gabby Gidley

#21 Gabby Gidley

5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
IF