OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Junior shortstop Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) lined a two-out single into center field in the eighth inning, scoring two, to lift the UW-Superior softball team to a 7-6 victory over tournament-host and 12th-ranked UW-Oshkosh on Sunday at the UWO Rec Plex.
 
The win capped a perfect 4-0 weekend for the Yellowjackets in the season-opening UW-Oshkosh Softball Invitational and gave Superior its second win over a ranked opponent under second-year head coach Melissa Fracker. The 'Jackets topped Ripon, 8-2, for the second consecutive game to open the day.
 
Superior rallied from a 3-0 deficit against the Titans (4-3), scoring runs in four of its last five turns at bat, culminating with the go-ahead knock that plated junior Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) and senior Olivia Bancroft-Hart (Cambria, Wis./Cambria-Friesland).
 
UWS overtook Ripon (0-5) with a five-run third inning, after falling behind, 2-1, and tacked on a pair in the late innings for that victory.
 
Game 1 -- UW-Superior 8, Ripon 2
Freshman Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) put UWS ahead with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East), in the bottom of the third against Ripon. After Norah Schmitz (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) was plunked by Claire Luebke, Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) singled back through the box to plate Thomson. 
 
Then, Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) tripled to the gap in right-center field, scoring Jacobson and Schmitz for a 6-2 lead.
 
The 'Jackets added single runs in the fifth and sixth frames to account for the final.
 
Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), Thomson and Kirk each collected two hits in the victory for Superior, which outhit Ripon, 7-4. 
 
Allison Luoma (Iron River, Wis./Northwestern) (1-0) earned her first collegiate victory in the circle in 3.1 innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts. Freshman lefty Emma Pillion (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) drew the start, working the first 3.2 frames and yielded four hits and two earned runs.
 
Luebke (0-3) absorbed the loss, lasting 2.2 innings before giving way to Alli Martin and Bennah Bronk.
 
Game 2 -- UW-Superior 7, No. 12 UW-Oshkosh 6 (eight innings)
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) breezed through the first two innings retiring the first seven batters she faced in order with a pair of strikeouts, before running into trouble in the third. UWO leadoff hitter Abby Garceau lashed a ball down the left-field line and came all the way around to score with a two-run, inside-the-park home run for a 2-0 lead.
 
After a walk to Brianna Davis, Hannah Ritter's single up the middle scored Davis, who had advanced to second on a passed ball.
 
Superior got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Kukowski singled to center with two gone to score freshman Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter), who walked to start the frame. Pinch runner Lauren Giesen (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) was gunned down at the plate on the play to end the inning.
 
Superior tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the fifth as the first five batters reached safely. Bancroft-Hart worked a walk, Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) singled through the left side and Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Kirk then shot a ball through the left side to knot the game.
 
The Titans retook the lead with one in the bottom of fifth on a ground out, but the 'Jackets responded with two more in the sixth to go up, 5-4. Kukowski tied it with a fielder's choice RBI, scoring Schmitz with one out, and two batters later, Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) helped herself with a single to score Kukowski for the lead.
 
Oshkosh again tied it with a run in its half while neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. With Schmitz on second as the tiebreaker began, Jacobson reached on an error, putting runners on the corners for Kukowski, who Mia Crotty, in the circle for the Titans, got to hit into a double play.
 
Next up, Bancroft-Hart coaxed a walk and stole second, setting the stage for the go-ahead base hit. 
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), who posted her second complete game of the weekend, allowed one run in a nervy bottom of the eighth, but retired pinch hitter Zoe Malone and Garceau in order for the final two outs. She scattered 10 hits and four earned runs, fanning five to improve to 3-0. Crotty (2-1) threw the final three innings for the Titans in relief of Sydney Nemetz, surrendering three runs, three hits and a walk, to take the loss.
 
The 'Jackets outhit Oshkosh, 12-10, with Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) going 3-for-5 with a run scored in the second game to lead the way.
 
UWS also beat former conference foe St. Scholastica, 5-4 in eight innings, in the UMAC tournament last season when the Saints were ranked 23rd nationally on May 13. Sunday's win is the 'Jackets' first over UW-Oshkosh since defeating the Titans, 4-0, on March 22, 2013, a nine-game span.
 
Superior next heads to Naples and Fort Myers, Fla., for the 32nd-annual Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic March 14-19 for 10 games. The 'Jackets open the trip against Maine Presque Isle and Alfred State, respectively.