SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket softball team opened the 2022 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament as the defending champions, and the No. 1 seed, but the idea the trip through the field would be easy went out the window when Minnesota Morris upset the Yellowjackets in their tournament opener Thursday.

As a result, the 2022 Yellowjackets were playing for their lives beginning Friday. The 'Jackets drew the University of Northwestern in the elimination game. A win meant they would play again later in the day, and a loss meant the season was done. To return to UMAC championship game, the Yellowjackets needed to win twice Friday.
 
Mission accomplished.

After mustering just two hits in Thursday's 2-0 loss to Morris, the Yellowjacket offense came alive Friday. The 'Jackets scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings to defeat Northwestern 3-1 and send the Eagles home from the tournament. Later, the Yellowjackets broke open a close game and got revenge on Morris, beating the Cougars 9-1.
 
With the wins, the Yellowjackets (33-9) will now face Bethany Lutheran College Saturday and will need to beat the Vikings twice to defend their UMAC crown. The Yellowjacktes defeated Bethany Lutheran three times during the regular season.
 
Game 1 -- UW-Superior 3, Northwestern 1
Northwestern took the early lead, scoring a single run in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the inning, Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), who didn't reach base in the tournament opener, led off with a walk and promptly stole second to move into scoring position. She would later come in when Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) lined an 0-2 single to right field, tying the game at 1-1.
 
The top of the order put the Yellowjackets in front in the bottom of the third. Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) reached on an error and followed that with not one, but two stolen bases. Later in the inning, Thomson came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and grounded out, scoring Kraemer to make it 2-1.
 
In the bottom of the fifth Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) led off with a double and moved to third on a Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) single. Two batters later Thomson grounded into a fielder's choice, bringing Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) home, giving the Yellowjackets a two-run cushion at 3-1.
 
Pitching and defense took over from there. Northwestern had runners on base in every inning, but Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and the fielders behind her kept the Eagles at bay. In the seventh, Northwestern got the leadoff hitter on, but a 4-6-3 double play snuffed out the threat and the Yellowjackets stayed alive with the win.
 
The Yellowjackets had nine hits in the game, led by Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) with two apiece. Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) scored all the runs and Thomson drove them in for the Yellowjackets.
 
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) went the distance in the circle, improving to 19-6 on the year, allowing one run on seven hits. She walked three and struck out four.
 
Game 2 -- UW-Superior 9, Minnesota Morris 1 (five innings)
The moment Thursday's game ended the Yellowjackets wanted another crack at Minnesota Morris, and after Bethany Lutheran walloped the Cougars, the Yellowjackets would get that chance with tournament elimination on the line. And this time, the Yellowjackets were determined to let Morris know why they were the No. 1 seed, and they got the scoring started early.
 
Once again it was Thomson coming through in the clutch, as they singled to right-center, scoring Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) to make it a 1-0 game.
 
Minnesota Morris tied it with a run in the top of the third, and it remained tied until the 'Jackets blew it open, scoring five times in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) got things started with a single to left, and after being sacrificed to second, she moved to third on a Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) single through the right side. Both runners came home on a two-run double to left by Norah Schmitz (Waconia, Minn./Waconia). Olivia Bancroft-Hart (Cambria, Wis./Cambria-Friesland) and Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) followed with back-to-back singles, giving the Yellowjackets their third run of the inning. Bancroft-Hart scored on an error and Kaela Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) scored on Tayler Kraemer's (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) third single of the day, giving the Yellowjackets a 6-1 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets needed three runs in the bottom of the fifth to end it, and they did so in short order.
 
Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) singled to left with one out and went to second on a single by Jacobson. Schmitz collected her second double of the game, drilling a ball to left and scoring Kukowski. The game came to an end when Bancroft-Hart drove in two runs with a triple to center field, making the final score 9-1.
 
Jacobson and Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) each had three hits to pace the Yellowjacket 14-hit attack. Bancroft-Hart had two hits and two RBI and also scored a run, while Schmitz went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in.
 
Once again Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) went the distance in the circle, giving up one run on three hits to go along with four walks and three strikeouts. The victory was her 20th of the season.
 
The Yellowjackets will take on Bethany Lutheran Saturday at noon at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex, needing to win the first game to force the deciding game, which would be played at 2:30 p.m.