MANKATO, Minn. – It's a busy week for the Yellowjacket softball team. After splitting a doubleheader Wednesday at home with Northland, the Yellowjackets had a quick turnaround for a twinbill on the road at Bethany Lutheran.
 
The Vikings came into the games with 14-12 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play, firmly entrenching them in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference playoff picture and putting them in the conversation to potentially host the conference tournament.

On the other hand, the Yellowjackets entered play Thursday needing wins, as they were hanging out near the fringes of the post-season.
 
The 'Jackets jumped out to the early lead in the opener, but some late-inning heroics gave Bethany Lutheran the 7-6 win. The Vikings then closed out the sweep with an 11-3 win in the second game.
 
With the losses, the Yellowjackets (14-12, 7-7 UMAC) now find themselves outside the UMAC playoff picture, making Saturday's doubleheader with Martin Luther, who occupies the No. 5 spot in the conference standings, all the more critical.
 
Game One
The Yellowjackets got it going early, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), who had a big game at the plate Thursday, led off the game with a double. Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) followed with a walk. Olivia Bancroft-Hart (Cambria, Wis./Cambria-Friesland) reached on an error that scored Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) with the game's first run. Later in the inning, Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
Jess Jacobson led off the second by striking out, but she reached base when the pitch got away from the Bethany Lutheran catcher. With two outs in the inning, Jacobson stole second and came around to score the third run for the Yellowjackets when Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) doubled down the left field line. After stealing third, Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) scored on an error to give the Yellowjackets a 4-0 lead.
 
Bethany Lutheran cut the Yellowjacket lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, and it stayed a 4-2 game until the fifth inning.
 
Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) led off the inning with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. She went to third on a ground out and scored on a Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) single to give the Yellowjackets a three-run lead.
 
Bethany Lutheran cut the Yellowjacket lead to one with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, the Yellowjackets got what appeared to be an insurance run when Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) hit a one-out double, stole third, and scored on an error to make it 6-4.
 
But in the bottom of the inning, Bethany Lutheran came all the way back and ended the game in walk-off fashion, scoring three times to win it 7-6.
 
The Yellowjackets had just four hits in the game, with Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) accounting for three of them. She was 3-for-3, drove in a run and scored four times.
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) got the start in the circle and went the distance, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in 6.2 innings. She walked six and struck out three.
 
Game Two
Just as they did in the first game, the Yellowjackets got the scoring started in the second, and again it was Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) getting things going. She led off with a double and scored on a ground out to make it 1-0.

Bethany Lutheran didn't wait as long to answer in this one, however, scoring a single run in the bottom of the inning to tie it. The Vikings blew the game open with a five-run second inning and then added four runs in the third and a single run in the fourth to take a commanding 11-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Kaileigh Miller (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) led off with a single and stole second before coming around to score the second run for the Yellowjackets on a Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) double. She would come around to score the game's final run on a Bancroft-Hart single, making the final score 11-3.
 
It was another great performance at the plate for Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), who went 2-for-3 and scored twice while driving in a run.
 
Malania Madill (Canyon, Minn./South Ridge) got the start for the Yellowjackets and went 3.1 innings, allowing nine runs (six earned) on 11 hits. Marley Burd (Glendale, Ariz./Centennial) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning and allowed two runs on three hits.
 
The Yellowjackets return to the diamond Saturday when they travel to New Ulm, Minnesota for a doubleheader with Martin Luther. The opening pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.