MINNEAPOLIS, Minn – Sure, it is still winter in the Upper Midwest, but that hasn't kept the Yellowjacket baseball team from getting its season underway while there's still snow on the ground. The indoor practices gave way to indoor games Tuesday, as the Yellowjackets opened their 2020 campaign in the climate-controlled comfort of US Bank Stadium with a doubleheader against Carroll University.
 
The Yellowjackets scored first in the first game and came up on the losing in, but flipped the script in the nightcap to gain the split. Carroll took the opener 5-2, while the Yellowjackets (1-1, 0-0 UMAC) took the second game 10-7.
 
Game One
The Yellowjackets came out swinging in the bottom of the first, and with the help of a big Carroll error scored right away. Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) singled to center field and came all the way around to score on a fielding error to give the 'Jackets the 1-0 lead. Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) would follow with a single to left in the next at bat, eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 after one inning.
 
That would be it for the Yellowjackets in the opener.
 
Carroll got on the board in the top of the second, and pulled ahead for good late, scoring a single run in the fifth, twice in the sixth and once in the seventh to make the final score 5-2.
 
The 'Jackets mustered just five hits in the game, getting one apiece from Cory Albertson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), Alec Rabin (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield), and Cameron Lee (Durban, South Africa/Kearsney College) in addition to the early knocks from Fredrikson and Rolf.
 
Veteran lefthander Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) got the season-opening start for the Yellowjackets and threw a solid five innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two in taking the loss. Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) pitched the final two innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out three.
 
Game Two
In the nightcap Carroll jumped out early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first off Yellowjacket starter Tommy Lentz (Andover, Minn./Andover).
 
The 'Jackets came back in the top of the third, getting back-to-back singles from Rolf and Albertson to start the inning. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice fly and scored when Nick Shea (Pengilly, Minn./Greenway) doubled to left-center, making it 2-1.
 
In the top of the fourth the Yellowjackets scored six times to blow the game wide open. Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) started the inning with a leadoff double, and three hitters later the bases were loaded with one out. A Carroll pitching change didn't change the Pioneers' luck, as a wild pitch scored Rhodes and moved everyone else up a base. Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) came to the plate next and singled home a run, and Shea followed with a ground out scoring another run, making the game 5-1.

Nick Zezulka (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) followed with a two-out triple to right-center, plating Flanagan to stretch the Yellowjacket lead. Alec Rabin (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) came to the plate next and walked, then stole second to give the 'Jackets two runners in scoring position. Mike Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) brought them both in, singling to center field to make it 8-1 Yellowjackets.
 
Lentz was in control on the mound and cruised through the fourth before the Yellowjackets added another run in the top of the fifth, and again it was the top of the order doing the damage.
 
Rolf doubled to right field, but Fredrikson was thrown out trying to score on the play. Albertson followed with a double, putting two runners in scoring position, and Flanagan brought Rolf home with a sacrifice fly, and it was 9-1.
 
Lentz was lifted after four, giving way to Boone Elkins (Riverside, Calif./Arlington) out of the bullpen. Carroll got to him early. The big blow coming when Mitchell Massino hit a grand slam to left, cutting the Yellowjacket lead in half to 9-5.
 
After a scoreless sixth inning the 'Jackets got a run back when Albertson scored on a wild pitch.
 
Carroll closed out the scoring in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on a bases-loaded wild pitch and an RBI-fielder's choice to make the final 10-7.
 
Rolf and Albertson led the way at the plate for the Yellowjackets with three hits each. Rolf also walked twice and scored three runs. Shea went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs.
 
Lentz got the win on the hill, allowing one run on three hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out five. Elkins settled down after a rough inning and finished with strong sixth. He allowed four earned runs on three hits in two innings. He walked one and struck out one. Zach Bennett (Corona, Calif./Santiago) pitched the last inning for the Yellowjackets.