SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior baseball team opened its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference schedule dropping a doubleheader to Crown Sunday, 7-5, and, 17-6 in eight innings, at NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
Crown claimed the first game in come-from-behind fashion and broke the second game open with seven runs in the in third inning and never looked back, ending the contest early with a run-rule victory.
 
The Storm improves to 10-8 overall and 2-0 in the UMAC, and the Yellowjackets fall to 6-10 overall.
 
Crown spoiled a strong start on the mound from senior Braeden Barr (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont) (1-1), who threw eight innings, allowing five earned runs on 12 hits and a walk, pitching into the ninth inning.
 
Leading, 5-3, in the top of the ninth, Barr allowed the first three batters to reach with singles before giving way to Michael Piletich (Somerset, Wis./Somerset).
 
The third of the hits that knocked Barr from the game came from Brooks Repking, scoring Kress Medina to make it 5-4.
 
Piletich promptly surrendered a two-run double to Kyle Schroedle to give Crown a 6-5 lead. Matt Sanchez followed with an infield single that put runners on first and third, and Seth Betts' fielder's choice scored Schroedle for an insurance run.
 
Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) drew a pinch-hit walk from Betts, who relieved Crown starter Sydney Ness in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Cory Albertson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) took another, but Barr grounded into a force at third to end the game. 
 
Ness (3-1) threw eight innings, allowing 11 hits and a walk with three strikeouts for the win. Betts picked up his first save of the season.
 
Tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the eighth, the 'Jackets got a one-out double to left-center field from Matthew Boyde (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka). Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) then launched a two-run home run to left to give Superior the lead.
 
Barr was also 2-for-5 at the plate in the first game with a double and RBI. Nick Fredrickson went 2-for-3 with an RBI out of the nine spot in the lineup.
 
Repking and Sanchez collected three hits apiece for the Storm in game one.
 
Crown banged out 14 hits in the second game and the 'Jackets made seven errors paving the way for the visitors' sweep.
 
With the game knotted at one in the third, Crown sent 13 men to the plate, and after the dust settled, was up, 8-1, with the help of six walks, a hit batsman, three hits and two errors.
 
Trailing, 11-2 in the fifth, Albertson and Barr hit back-to-back homers on consecutive pitches. With one out, Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) tripled to center. Albertson then deposited a Derek Albers offering over the left-field fence to make it an 11-4 game.
 
Barr then took the next pitch out to left to pull his team to within six.
 
That was as close as Superior got. Crown plated three in the sixth and three more in the eighth to halt things early.
 
Albers (2-2) allowed five runs in five innings for the win on the mound. Medina closed the game, earning a three-inning save. Trevor Roszczewski (Minocqua, Wis./Lakeland Union) (0-1) started for the 'Jackets and lasted just two innings. He allowed seven runs, six hits and two walks while fanning two. Tommy Lentz (Andover, Minn./Andover), Dante Bender (Gurney, Wis./Hurley) and Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) followed out of the bullpen.
 
Chad Herrera got the start in game two and went 4-for-4 with a double, stolen base and a run scored. Betts was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two walks and scored five times.
 
Rolf was a home run short of a cycle with two runs scored and one driven in for Superior.
 
The 'Jackets next head to St. Scholastica Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning a 5 p.m., at Wade Stadium.