SUPERIOR, Wis.: It's been a rough spring in the Northland. Winter-like weather and temperatures have maintained their grip on the Upper Midwest, and in the process played havoc on the schedules of spring sports. As a result, the Yellowjacket baseball team had not played a game as originally scheduled since returning from Arizona.

Until Saturday.

The Yellowjackets were finally able to take the field for games on the date and time as scheduled by the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference as they played host to North Central at Ted Whereatt Field. And as the sun was dipping into the western sky, the Yellowjackets were putting the finishing touches on a two-game sweep of the Rams. Timely hitting and strong pitching was the recipe Saturday, as the Yellowjackets gutted out a pair of victories, taking the opener 8-6 before holding on to win the second 7-5. 

With the wins the Yellowjackets (13-16, 7-7 UMAC) strengthened their hold on fourth place in the conference with two UMAC games left to play. They currently sit ahead of Crown, North Central, and Minnesota Morris, all of which have a 4-8 record. The Yellowjackets lost a pair of games early in the season to Crown and have two to play with Morris, further muddying the playoff picture.

But Saturday's wins went a long way toward sending the Yellowjackets into the UMAC playoffs once again in 2019.

Game 1
North Central wasted little time scoring in the first game, taking the 1-0 lead when Brandon Scott homered to left field off Yellowjacket starter Braeden Barr (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont).

But the Yellowjackets had a quick answer and took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Berrios (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) walked and stole second before coming home on an Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) single to tie the game. Later in the inning Matt Boyde doubled to left center to score Osness, and Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) then brought home Barr on a ground out and the Yellowjackets led 3-1 after one.

The Yellowjackets added another run in the second when Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) scored on double play. It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when last year's UMAC Player of the Year gave the 'Jackets some breathing room. Three singles loaded the bases and Cory Albertson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) emptied them, ripping a home run over the left center field fence on the first pitch he saw to make it 8-1.

That would be enough offense for the 'Jackets, but the victory was anything but easy as the Rams refused to go away. They would score a single run in the fifth and plate two more in the seventh to get to within 8-4. Things got interesting in the ninth with the Rams putting a pair of runners on with one out. Both runners would come across to score, but Auggie Anderson (Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) came on in relief and shut the door recording the final two outs to preserve the win.

Barr went six and was rock solid, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out two. Mitch Coulson (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Hammarskjold) and Zach Bennett (Corona, Calif./Santiago) worked out of the bullpen before Anderson came on in the ninth to record his first save of the season.

The Yellowjackets pounded out 11 hits, led by Osness who had three, and Albertson and Flanagan who each had two.

Game 2
The second game started as a pitcher's duel, with North Central's Bryce Riege and Mikey Piletich of the Yellowjackets swapping scoreless frames early.  But just as they did in the first game the Rams drew first blood, scoring a single run in the top of the third to take the lead. And just like they did in the first game, the Yellowjackets answered with a big inning.

In the bottom of the fourth Barr got things started with a double to right and moved to third on a single by Boyde. Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) tied the game, scoring Barr on a ground rule double to right center. Two hitters later Flanagan reached on an infield single to load the bases, and freshman Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) broke the tie with a sharp single up the middle to score two. Flanagan then came home on a sacrifice fly to give the 'Jackets a 4-1 lead.

North Central scored a pair in the fifth to pull back to within one, but once again the Yellowjackets answered by putting up a crooked number. In the bottom of the sixth. With two outs the Rams walked the bases loaded and Barr made them pay, driving a double to left field to clear the bases and make it a 7-3 game.

It stayed that way until the ninth when once again the Rams rallied, plating a couple of runs before a ground out to Miller sealed the deal and the win, 7-5 for the Yellowjackets.

Piletich started well but struggled later and couldn't get through the fifth inning. He allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Boone Elkins (Riverside, Calif./Arlington) came on in the fifth and was masterful, allowing two hits and striking out three in 2.1 scoreless innings. He picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the year. Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) pitched the final two innings and allowed two runs on one hit with two strikeouts.

Osness, Barr, Boyde, and Flanagan all had two hits for the Yellowjackets, who finished with 10 for the game.