NEW ULM, Minn. -- The UW-Superior baseball team exploded for season highs of 17 runs and 18 hits in the opening game of its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on the way to a 17-4 victory at MLC Baseball Field on Sunday.
 
The Yellowjackets' bats went silent in the second game, though, as they fell, 1-0, for the road split.
 
UWS (9-15, 5-4 UMAC) scored 11 runs in the first two innings of the first game, including six runs on six hits in the top of the first, to knock MLC starter Sam Rodriguez (0-4) from the game.
 
Six different Superior players collected two hits apiece and six drove in at least a pair of runs, led by sophomore catcher Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East), who was 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and run scored. 
 
Senior left-hander Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) fired six shutout innings, scattering five hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts, to improve to 4-3 on the season. Jack Barnett (Prior Lake, Minn./Jordan) and Ethan Coady (Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke School of the Arts) shared mound duties in the seventh as UWS earned its first run-rule victory of the year.
 
The 'Jackets scored in every inning, except the fifth and seventh, including twice more in the third and three times in the sixth frame. 
 
The first seven batters of the game reached safely, helping to build a 5-0 lead. Fugere's two-run single through the left side scored Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd Senior) and Ryan Castaneda (San Pedro, Calif./Junipero Serra) prior to a Sam McNosky (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) double that plated Christian Garcia (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) to cap the scoring in the inning. 
 
Garcia singled home Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) with one out in the second inning to push the lead to 7-0. After Fugere walked and stole second, Jordan Trimble (Victorville, Calif./Grandview (Colo.)) shot a single to right field, scoring Fugere and Garcia for a nine-run advantage. Two batters later, Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) singled up the middle, scoring McNosky and Trimble.
 
Gunner Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) closed UWS offensive with a two-run single in the sixth before the Knights rallied for four in the bottom of the seventh off of Barnett and Coady.
 
Martin Luther (3-20, 3-10) scratched across the only run of the nightcap in the bottom of the third inning off of Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks). Jonas Lindemann hit a one-out double, moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on a single by Andrew Deisinger.
 
Harbaugh (0-2) was solid the rest of the way, yielding just six hits with one walk. He struck out four and threw 88 pitches in his first collegiate complete game.
 
The Yellowjackets outhit MLC, collecting 10 safeties, with just one extra-base hit -- a two-out rope to the gap in right-center field by Fugere. UWS stranded 15 in the contest, hitting 4-for-21 with runners on base.
 
The final game of the series, scheduled for Monday, has been postponed to a date to be determined. UWS is next slated to host Northland in a doubleheader at NBC Spartan Sports Complex Tuesday at 2 p.m.