The University of Wisconsin Superior bounced back from a winless pair of stops in Florida to sweep on its penultimate day in the sunshine state. The Yellowjackets defeated Upper Midwest Athletic Conference foe Crown College 7-2 in their opener on Thursday before holding on to defeat Manchester (Ind.) University 4-3 in the nightcap of their twinbill at the Century Link Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.
UW-Superior (7-7) exploded to a 7-0 lead over Crown (1-15), and while the Yellowjackets surrendered a pair late, they held on for their most one-sided victory of the young season. Sophomore catcher
Gabby Gidley (Superior, Wis./Superior H.S.) got the day started with a one-out single in the top of the second inning, moving to second on an infield hit by sophomore
Kayla Hartl (Medford, Wis./Medford Area H.S.). After a fielder's choice took Gidley off the basepaths, junior infielder
Katie White (Pequot Lakes, Minn./Pequot Lakes H.S.) singled home Hartl, stole second, and come around to score along with first-year outfielder
Mariah Linder (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids H.S.) on a double by junior outfielder
Saige Patrick (Steinbach, Man./St. Mary's Academy). Junior outifelder
Ciarra Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld H.S.) brought home Patrick to give UWS a 4-0 lead after two.
After senior right-hander
Sarah Hendrickson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld H.S.) reached on an error in the third, Gidley moved her to third with a single. She came around to score on a double by Hartl, and Gidley crossed the path on a groundball off the bat of Linder. Hendrickson (3-5) tossed a complete game, scattering 10 hits while allowing one earned and striking out five on the afternoon. Hartl scored her second run of the day in the top of the fifth, scoring on an error by the Storm infield off the bat of Linder.
Kaylea Kidder (0-4) took the defeat fro Crown, giving up four earned runs on 14 hits, while striking out one Yellowjacket. The Storm scored two in the sixth, stringing together three hits and an error to scrape two across the plate.
UW-Superior 4, Manchester 3
Game two of the day went back-and-forth in the third meeting of the week between the Yellowjackets and Spartans. After UWS scored a run in the top of the first without the benefit of hit as White crossed the plate on a wild pitch after reaching on an error, Manchester (6-9-1) answered back in the bottom of inning with a single by infielder Kate Skeens.
Skeens continued to be a thorn in the Yellowjackets' side with another RBI single in the third, scoring infielder Laurren Ladwig for the second time on the day. First-year right-hander
Megan Pehrson (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids H.S.) opened up the fifth inning with a single, and Gidley followed that with a bunt single to the pitcher. Hartl moved first-year pinch runner
Maggie Cragg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park H.S.) and Gidley over with a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore pinch hitter
Bailey Armstrong (Scandia, Minn/Forest Lake H.S.) followed that by ripping a single up the middle, giving UW-Superior a 3-2 lead. The Spartans answered back with a pair of doubles in the bottom of the sixth to knot the game headed to the final frame.
After Hartl reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, she moved to second on a pick-off attempt by Manchester. After stealing third, she came around to score on a wild pitch to Linder, giving the Yellowjackets another lead. Pehrson forced a pair of pop-ups in the seventh, closing the door for her fourth victory of the season (4-2). She allowed three earned runs while scattering nine hits, striking out three on the afternoon. Tristyn Koon gave up two earned on just six hits for the Spartans, striking out two Yellowjackets.
UP NEXT
UW-Superior will close out its stay in Florida on Friday as the team takes on Florida SouthWestern State College of the National Junior Colleg Athletic Association (NJCAA) in an exhibition on Friday morning before taking on Manchester one final time in the afternoon. Opening pitch is set for 11 a.m. at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.
