DULUTH, Minn. – Diana Boyce lined a single a down the right-field line to score Hannah Woodworth with two out in the ninth inning, sending third-seeded Northwestern to the UMAC championship series with a 2-1 win over the UW-Superior softball team at Kenwood Field on Friday.
 
The game-winning hit spoiled a third consecutive stellar outing from Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) in the circle for the Yellowjackets. Kraemer (12-8) limited the Eagles to three hits and two runs with eight strikeouts for her third compete game in two days.
 
Fifth-seeded UWS falls to 19-14 with the loss and faces the winner of the game between Bethany Lutheran and 23rd-ranked St. Scholastica at 4 p.m. Friday for the right to play UNW for the UMAC title on Saturday. 
 
Woodworth coaxed a one-out walk from Kraemer in the decisive bottom of the ninth inning and moved to second on a single through the right side by Kayla Hannasch. Hailey Hansen then hit a roller to Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) at second, who tossed to Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) at second. The relay to Marley Burd (Glendale, Ariz./Centennial) was late, keeping the inning alive for the Eagles with two out, while sending Woodworth to third.
 
Boyce then flipped the first pitch she saw from Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) into right for the victory.
 
Northwestern (17-21) opened the scoring in the top of the first with an RBI groundball to second from Telma Roesler.
 
Superior tied the game in the top of the fourth when Kirk led off with a single to center field and was sacrificed to second by Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown). Next up, Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) bounced a ball that sneaked under the glove of Brooke Koelln at second base, allowing Kirk to scamper home and Jacobson to second when Hannasch mishandled it in center.
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) permitted just five baserunners over the next five innings and fanned five Eagles. The Yellowjackets' best opportunity to break the deadlock came when Davriana Horvath (Esko, Minn./Esko) began the ninth with a double down the right-field line. Burd was unable to get a bunt down to advance Horvath, instead grounding out to shortstop. The next batter, Kaileigh Miller (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), did get Horvath to second with a grounder to the right side, but after Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) was hit by a pitch and stole second, Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) flied out to end the threat.
 
Briggs Carlson (9-7) earned the victory for UNW in the circle, going the distance, while scattering eight hits, an unearned run and two walks with six strikeouts. 
 
Olivia Bancroft-Hart (Cambria, Wis./Cambria-Friesland) and Kirk collected two hits apiece to pace the UWS offense. The Kraemers each singled and Burd added a second-inning double.