MORRIS, Minn. – Needing at least a split of its final Upper Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Minnesota Morris Saturday for a spot in the conference tournament, the UW-Superior baseball team swept the Cougars.
The Yellowjackets scored two times in the top of the 11th inning of the opener for a 10-8 win and held on in the nightcap, 9-8. The 'Jackets will be No.-4 seed in the upcoming tournament and will face No. 5 Crown in an elimination game Thursday at 1 p.m., at Wade Stadium in Duluth.
Superior (15-18, 9-7 UMAC) jumped out two a 3-0 lead through three-and-a-half innings in the first game on the strength of solo home runs by
Jordan Berrios (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) and
Matthew Boyde (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka) as well as a sacrifice fly by
Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd).
Minnesota Morris cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the fourth after it was held hitless by
Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) into that frame. Superior made it 4-2 in the top of the fifth on a
Braeden Barr (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont) single through the left side that scored
Alex Osness (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West).
Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) doubled home
Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) in the eighth inning for what turned out to be a much-needed insurance run as the Cougars took the lead with four in the bottom of the inning.
Brady Jergenson singled down the left-field line, scoring two, to cut the deficit to 5-4. Peterson followed with an RBI single to tie the game and Blake Haugen gave Morris the lead on a sacrifice that scored Jergenson
With the 'Jackets down to their last out in the top of the ninth and runners on first and second
Travis Miller (Whittier, Calif./La Serna) singled in
Cory Albertson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), who had walked. Rolf followed with a triple to right, plating pinch runner Mike Rodriquez and Miller for an 8-6 advantage.
Morris (8-23, 5-11) battled back yet again with RBI hits by Alex Baumann and Blaise Fairbanks off of
Auggie Anderson (Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) to send the game to extras.
In the 11th, Miller singled to start lead off the inning and moved to second following a
Colin Welch (Acton, Calif./Golden Valley) walk.
Nick Zezulka (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village), who pinch ran for Welch, and Miller moved to second and third on a passed ball. After Nathen Carlin got a strike out, he uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Miller to come home with the go-ahead run. Fredrikson added an insurance tally with a sacrifice fly for the final margin.
Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) (1-1) earned the win in 2.1 innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and two walks while fanning four. Kyle Hastings (1-1) took the loss that eliminated the Cougars from tournament contention.
Miller went 2-for-4 with two walks a stolen base, three runs scored and one driven in.
Morris had a 4-1 lead through four innings in the second game before UWS knotted the things with four runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Berrios and Osness walked, setting the stage for an Albertson three-run home run to center field. His sixth home run of the season tied the game, 4-4, and spelled the end of the day for Cougars' starter Brian Vanyo.
Garret Gregersen (0-1) faced the next hitters, allowing a two hits, a walk and the go-ahead run when Miller singled up the middle, scoring Barr, who doubled earlier.
Following the end of the fifth inning, the teams finished the game at the Morris Area High School as Cougar Diamond does not have lights.
From that point, the 'Jackets scored four more runs and withstood a four-run bottom of the eighth to complete the sweep.
Michael Piletich (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) (1-1) went the first five innings on the mound to earn his first win of the season. Piletich scattered seven hits and four runs (three earned), striking out three.
Zach Bennett (Corona, Calif./Santiago) picked up his first save working the last four innings.
Miller was 4-for-5 in game two, leading four players with multiple-hit games.
The 'Jackets close the regular season with a non-conference doubleheader at St. Olaf Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
