AUBURNDALE, Fla. – It hasn't quite been a historic start to the 2023 season for the Yellowjacket baseball team, but it's pretty darn close.
 
Entering play Tuesday, the Yellowjackets were 3-1, marking the first time since 2014 the Yellowjackets won three of their first four games. That season, the 'Jackets started off 7-1, and after Tuesday's games, that mark is safe for another year.

The Yellowjackets needed extra innings in the opener of its doubleheader with SUNY Cobleskill to earn the 8-6 win, but the Fighting Tigers answered back in the nightcap, winning 7-3, forcing the Yellowjackets to settle for the split Tuesday at Lake Myrtle Sports Park.
 
Following the split, the Yellowjackets are now 4-2 on the year.
 
Game One
The Yellowjackets hopped on the Fighting Tigers right away in the first inning, taking advantage of a couple of walks to grab the early lead. Trey Sybrant (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) got the scoring started with a two-run, two-out single to put the Yellowjackets in front.
 
David Flora answered for Cobleskill, hitting a solo homer to cut the Yellowjacket lead in half after one inning.
 
Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) got that run back in the top of the fourth, hitting his second home run of the season to make it 3-1 Yellowjackets.
 
The Yellowjackets doubled their lead in the top of the sixth. Christian Garcia (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) doubled to lead off the inning and scored the Yellowjackets' first run on an error. Later in the inning Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) singled, bringing home Sybrant and Fugere, giving the Yellowjackets a 6-1 lead.
 
Cobleskill didn't go away, however, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth to pull to within a run.
 
In the top of the seventh, Cobleskill made a pitching change, and the new arm bamboozled the Yellowjackets, striking out the side, and not allowing them to expand the lead.
 
Then in the bottom of the inning, the Fighting Tigers got their second home run of the game, tying the score 6-6.
 
The Yellowjackets came to bat in the top of the eighth, and wasted little time regaining the lead. Sybrant, who had three hits in the game, led off with a single and Max Howell (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) followed with his first collegiate home run, giving the Yellowjackets an 8-6 advantage.
 
Yellowjacket head coach TJ Oakes went to the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, and Owen Santiago (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) shut the Fighting Tigers down, retiring three-of-four hitters faced to preserve the win and get the save.
 
In addition to going 3-for-4, Sybrant also scored twice and drove in two runs. Rhodes and Howell also had two hits.
 
Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) got the start on the mound and allowed five runs on five hits over 5.1 innings. He gave way to Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area), who put together another solid outing, allowing one run on two hits in 1.2 innings.
 
Game Two
The bulk of the scoring came early in the second game, with each team putting up runs in the first two innings.
 
After Cobleskill scored in the top of the first, the Yellowjackets answered in the bottom of the inning when Sybrant singled home Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover), tying the game 1-1.
 
In the second Cobleskill blew things open, scoring four times to move in front 5-1. The big hit was Flora's second home run of the afternoon, this time a three-run shot.
 
The Yellowjackets got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Rhodes singled home Garcia with one out, and then Rhodes came across on a Dagostino sacrifice fly, cutting the margin to 5-3.
 
It stayed that way until the top of the sixth, when the Fighting Tigers tacked on two more to make it 7-3. The Yellowjackets couldn't get the offense going any further, going down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, forcing them to settle for the doubleheader split.
 
Sybrant led the way again, registering another multi-hit game. He was 2-for-4.
 
Aiden Pfeifer (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) got the start and went 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) came on in relief and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on one hit. Reese Fleig (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) pitched a scoreless seventh.
 
The Yellowjackets are back in action Thursday when they take on Greenville University out of Illinois. The first pitch in Auburndale, Fla. is scheduled for 3 p.m. CDT.