NEW ULM, Minn. – The UW-Superior baseball team earned its second doubleheader split in as many days, this one at Martin Luther on Saturday, outslugging the Knights, 19-9, in seven innings in the first game and dropping a 19-16 affair in the nightcap.
 
The 'Jackets outhit MLC by a combined 33-28 tally, but had to employ the services of 10 pitchers. 
 
Matthew Boyde (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka) led UWS offensively, going 7-for-10 with two home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored. Cory Albertson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) and Braeden Barr (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont) each also hit home runs for Superior, which moved to 9-15 overall and 3-7 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Matt Baehman paced Martin Luther (4-19, 2-4), going 5-for-8 with a homer, double, seven RBIs and six runs scored on the day.
 
The Yellowjackets exploded for 10 runs in the top of the first of the opener with the help of eight hits and three errors. Albertson's fourth homer of the season – a  two-run shot to center made it 3-0. He came up later in the inning and knocked a base hit through the left side of the infield, scoring Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) and Jordan Berrios (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) for a 9-0 advantage. Albertson scored one batter later when Barr reached on an error in center field.
 
The first-inning outburst was more than enough for the 'Jackets to cruise to victory. They led, 10-5, through five innings and put the game out of reach with eight more in the sixth. The inning included run-scoring hits from Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater), Berrios and Osness, and opened an 18-5 lead.
 
Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) pitched the first five innings, picking up the win, to improve to 2-1 on the mound. He scattered eight hits and five earned runs with two strikeouts and one walk. Dante Bender (Gurney, Wis./Hurley) and David Dibble (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
 
Martin Luther scored in each of the first four innings of game two to salvage a split. The Knights countered Superior's four-run top of the first with nine in the bottom of the inning. UWS cut the deficit to 9-8 with another four runs in the second, but MLC matched them for a 13-8 score after two.
 
Trailing, 16-8, in the top of the fourth, the 'Jackets chipped into the lead. Flanagan ripped a two-out, bases-clearing double to left center, scoring three to make it a 16-12 contest.
 
UWS never crept closer than three runs the rest of the way as the Knights held on. 
 
Dillion Solomon (1-4) went 5.2 innings on the mound for his first win of the season. Solomon gave way to Nate Goelzer, who picked up his first save, securing the game's final 10 outs.
 
Trevor Roszczewski (Minocqua, Wis./Lakeland Union) (0-2) got just two outs for Superior in his start, surrendering eight runs on six hits, a walk and hit batsman. Six relievers followed. Brandon Wing (Superior, Wis./Superior), Gunner Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior) and Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) each had scoreless outings.
 
The 'Jackets return to the diamond Wednesday, hosting Northland in a 1:30 p.m., doubleheader.