ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. -- The UW-Superior softball team scored in every inning of the first game of its UMAC doubleheader at Crown on Tuesday on the way to a 12-1 victory in five innings, but the Storm scored four times in the fourth inning of the nightcap to salvage a split with a 7-3 win.
 
The win in the first game of the day gave the Yellowjackets 20 in at least two consecutive seasons for the fourth time in school history (2021-22, 2010-11, 2004-06 and 1987-88). Head coach Melissa Fracker's 2022 squad is the second fastest to 20 wins in the 40-year history of the program, just behind the 2004 WIAC championship team which accomplished the feat in 21 games and finished 34-10 overall.
 
Superior (20-6, 7-1 UMAC) has reached the 20-win plateau for the 13th time in history.
 
Game 1 -- UW-Superior 12, Crown 1 (five innings)
UWS tallied a season-high-tying 17 hits and scored at least once in all five innings to take the first game, 12-1. Eight different players collected hits, eight scored and nine drove in runs to lead the offense. Shortstop Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) went 4-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored, two RBIs and four stolen bases out of the leadoff spot. Left fielder Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) and right fielder Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) added three hits apiece.
 
The Yellowjackets used a four-run second inning to break open a 2-1 game with the help of three hits and two Crown errors. Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) ripped a two-run single to right with one out, scoring Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) and Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown). Two batters later, Kirk singled home Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) plated Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) with a sac fly.
 
Superior added one run in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to halt the game after five innings, its seventh run-rule victory of the year. 
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) (12-4) limited the Storm to just four singles and one earned run. She struck out three and did not permit a walk in her 11th complete game of the season.
 
Abbie Carroll (0-2) gave up 11 earned runs in the circle for the Storm, taking the loss.
 
Game 2 -- Crown 7, UW-Superior 3 
The Yellowjackets held a 1-0 lead two batters into the second game as Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) led off with a triple to center field and Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) drove her in with a knock to left field. Crown, though, took the lead with a consecutive RBI doubles with one out in the bottom of the frame from Liz Kemp and Maria Lilienthal off of Allison Luoma (Iron River, Wis./Northwestern).
 
Superior rallied to knot the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth with two out. Kukowski started the inning with a single up the middle, advanced on a passed ball and to third on a fly ball to right field from Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights). Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) then tapped back to Abbey Underdahl in the circle, whose throw to first was off the mark, allowing Kukowski to come in.
 
Kirk followed with a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field for the tie.
 
Crown scored four times in the bottom of the inning -- all with two out -- to take the lead for good and hand UWS its first conference loss of the season.
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) took the loss for the 'Jackets, going five innings in relief of Allison Luoma (Iron River, Wis./Northwestern). Kraemer surrendered five runs and two walks, while fanning four. Underdahl (2-5) went the route for the Storm, yielding 10 hits, three earned runs and a walk.
 
Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and Kukowski each had two hits for the Yellowjackets. Lilienthaldrove in three with a pair of doubles for Crown, which improved to 4-10 overall and 2-4 in the UMAC.
 
UWS has a quick turnraround, returning to action Wednesday against North Central in a doubleheader, at the West St. Paul Sports Central. First pitch is 1 p.m.