AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Yellowjacket baseball team started its Florida swing with gusto, winning three of their first four contests and sitting with an overall record of 4-1 early in the year. The good feelings, however, didn't last, as the Yellowjackets, despite putting together strong efforts on the field, didn't get the results they wanted the rest of the way.
 
After wrapping things up late Friday, the Yellowjackets had a quick turnaround, hitting the field bright and early Saturday morning to take on UW-Eau Claire in their final game of the 2023 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
The Blugolds rode two big innings to a 7-4 win over the Yellowjackets. With the loss, the Yellowjackets have dropped five straight and currently have a record of 4-6 (0-0 UMAC).
 
Matt Tappe (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) got the start on the mound for the Yellowjackets and Eau Claire got to him early, scoring four times on five hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a big lead. Tappe settled down after that, keeping Eau Claire off the board in the second, third and fourth innings.

That changed in the fifth, however, as Eau Claire put together another big inning, scoring three times to move in front 7-0 and chase Tappe from the game. The big hit was a three-run home run from Carson Windeshausen.
 
The Yellowjackets broke the Eau Claire shutout in the top of the sixth when Christian Garcia (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs), who has been on a tear the last four games, brought home Sam McNosky (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) with a single through the right side.
 
In the eighth the Yellowjackets scored another run, and again it was McNosky coming across, this time scoring on a fielder's choice.
 
The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) and Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) scored when Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) reached on an error, to make the final score 7-4.
 
Tappe took the loss Saturday, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five, and is now 1-1 on the year.
 
McNosky had one of the Yellowjackets' four hits in the game and also scored twice;.
 
The Yellowjackets will now head home and will continue with their non-conference schedule, when they travel to Winona, Minn. to take on Saint Mary's University Thursday, Mar. 23. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Max Molock Field.