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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Jake Irlbeck
Jade Jensen

Baseball Bryce Harp

Runs Aplenty as Yellowjackets Sweep North Central

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Yellowjackets baseball team wrapped up the UMAC portion of their schedule Saturday afternoon as they traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. to take on North Central University. The Yellowjackets had been reeling a bit as of late, having lost five of their last six games coming into this matchup. That made this game all the more important with the UMAC playoffs right around the corner.
 
Yellowjackets 16, North Central 12
 
The first game of the day quickly turned into a slug fest, as both team reached double figures in runs.

The Yellowjackets started by opening up a big lead. Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) led off the second with a triple to center field and then was driven in by an Elvis Artiles Cuello (Domincan Republic/Colegio Dominicano DeLaSalle) sacrifice fly. Tyler Evans (Andover, Minn./Andover) than tripled to center field and was driven in by a jake Irlbeck single through the left side. Two batters later Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./West) hit a double to left field to drive in Irlbeck and Kyle Bellin (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly), giving the Yellowjackets a 4-0 lead with one out. Greg Pitts (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) then drove in the fifth run of the inning with a single through the left side.

The offense just kept coming in the third. With two on and one out Irlbeck hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Yellowjackets a 6-0 lead. Bellin then hit a double to right center to drive in Evans as the Yellowjackets took a 7-0 lead. Osness would then single through the left side to drive in Bellin and Pitts would single through the left side to drive in Osness, as the Yellowjackets held a 9-0 lead after the top of the third.

Things started to get interesting over the next three innings. North Central batted around in the bottom of the third to score five runs. They then score one in each the fourth and the fifth to cut the once formidable Yellowjacket lead to 9-7.

The Yellowjackets would build the lead back up to 11-7 in the seventh, as Irlbeck led off the inning with a home run to left field before Osness and Pitts laced together back-to-back singles to score a run.

The Rams would tie it up in the bottom of the seventh, as they looked to pull off the upset. Thankfully, the Yellowjackets were able to plate three in the eight and two in the ninth to hold on for a 16-12 victory.

Irlbeck paced the Yellowjackets offensively in game one, going 4-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs. He was a triple away from hitting for the cycle.
 
Yellowjackets 25, North Central 2 (7 innings)
 
The second game of the day quickly turned into a blowout.

The Yellowjackets sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring eight. They would score one in the second and three in the third before the bats really came alive in the fourth.

Greg Pitts (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to push the Yellowjacket lead to 14-0. Two batters later Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) hit a two-run home run at the exact same spot to make it 16-0 Yellowjackets. The icing on the cake came three batters later as Chad Patko (Stone Lake, Wis./Hayward) crushed a ball over the left field fence to give the Yellowjackets an 18-0 lead.

From that point on, the Yellowjackets went into cruise control as they easily handled the Rams.

Patko had a huge day at the plate, going 3-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs. He was a double away from hitting for the cycle. Miller finished with two home runs.

Jonah Lundequam (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland) got the start for the Yellowjackets, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while walking five and striking out eight in six innings. Ryan Rukavina (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) relieved Lundequam, walking one and striking out two without allowing a hit in the final inning.

The Yellowjackets (15-15, 11-5 UMAC) will travel to St. Paul, Minn. Sunday, May 8 as they take on Hamline University. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
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Players Mentioned

Elvis Artiles Cuello

#2 Elvis Artiles Cuello

OF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Kyle Bellin

#5 Kyle Bellin

IF
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Jonah Lundequam

#7 Jonah Lundequam

P
5' 7"
Sophomore
L/L
Chad Patko

#8 Chad Patko

IF
5' 8"
Junior
R/R
Greg Pitts

#11 Greg Pitts

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Ryan Rukavina

#31 Ryan Rukavina

P
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Alex Osness

#24 Alex Osness

IF
6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
Travis Miller

#33 Travis Miller

IF
6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
Tyler Evans

#34 Tyler Evans

OF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Elvis Artiles Cuello

#2 Elvis Artiles Cuello

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
OF
Kyle Bellin

#5 Kyle Bellin

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
IF
Jonah Lundequam

#7 Jonah Lundequam

5' 7"
Sophomore
L/L
P
Chad Patko

#8 Chad Patko

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
IF
Greg Pitts

#11 Greg Pitts

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Ryan Rukavina

#31 Ryan Rukavina

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Alex Osness

#24 Alex Osness

6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
IF
Travis Miller

#33 Travis Miller

6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
IF
Tyler Evans

#34 Tyler Evans

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
OF