NAPLES, Fla. – It's pretty safe to say the spring trip to Florida has been a good one for the Yellowjacket softball team. The Yellowjackets had 10 games on the schedule, and they wrapped up the slate with a pair of games early Thursday morning, taking on Rutgers-Newark and Saint Elizabeth.
 
And the Yellowjackets closed the trip out in fine style.

Riding the right arm of Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), the Yellowjackets fought off an early deficit to come from behind and defeat Rutgers-Newark 7-6. They closed the day out with a 6-1 win over Saint Elizabeth.
 
The Yellowjackets (10-4, 0-0 UMAC) won 8-of-10 games on the Florida swing, and now will head home to resume their schedule in April.

Game One
Rutgers-Newark got right to work, roughing up Yellowjacket starter Georgia Youngblood (Ray, Mich./Lutheran North) to the tune of five runs on four hits.
 
Down a handful of runs before their first set of at bats, the Yellowjackets quickly returned the favor, gouging Rutgers-Newark's started for five runs to tie things.
 
The Yellowjackets recorded three-straight singles to start the inning, and Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) brought two runs home with a single up the middle to cut into the Scarlet Raider lead. The 'Jackets again loaded the bases later in the inning, and got one run across on a fielders choice before Morgan Young (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) produced a two-run, two-single up the middle, tying things at 5-5.
 
From there, the pitching and defense for both teams settled down, and so did the bats, as just three more runs were pushed across.
 
The Yellowjackets took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the third when Emma Schmitz scored on a triple to the right-center field gap by Young.
 
Rutgers-Newark tied the game 6-6 in the top of the sixth. It stayed that way until the Yellowjacktes came up in the bottom of the seventh. Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) reached on an error and stole second. Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) came up and reached on a fielders choice, with an accompanying error allowing Macal to score, giving the Yellowjackets a 7-6 win and their second walk-off victory in as many days.
 
Young got the start in center field for the Yellowjackets and paced the offense in this one, going 2-for-3 and driving in three runs. Thomson also had two hits and two runs batted in.
 
Youngblood pitched the first inning before Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) came on to pitch the next two innings, giving up just one hit. Kraemer went the last four innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out nine to get the win, moving her to 5-3 on the year.
 
Game Two
There was a lot less drama in the second game of the day, as the pulled away in the middle innings and rolled to the win.
 
Saint Elizabeth moved in front with a single run in the bottom of the second, but the Yellowjackets answered that in the bottom of the third, when Kraemer drilled a double to right field, scoring Kukowski to tie the game.
 
The Yellowjackets took the lead in the top of the fourth.
 
With two runners in scoring position Jenna Hopes brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, putting the 'Jackets in front. Cassie Bergman (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) made it a 3-1 game, singling to left field to bring home Macal.
 
After going down in order in the fifth, the Yellowjackets posted a couple more runs in the sixth. Hoops led off the inning with a single and Kukowski hit the right-center field gap for a double, scoring Hoops with the fourth Yellowjacket run.  Kukowski then scored when MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) singled through the left side, extending the lead again.

The Yellowjackets plated their final run of the game in the top of the seventh when pinch runner Camille Wikstrom (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) scored on a Hoops single, making the final score 6-1.
 
Thomson had a big game, going 3-for-4 and scoring a run. Leccia, Hoops and Kukowski also had two hits each.
 
Kraemer got the start and went the distance in the circle, picking up the win to improve to 6-3 for the year. She allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out three.
 
The Yellowjackets will now be off for two weeks before taking on UW-River Falls in a non-conference doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex in Superior.