COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Throughout the 2023 season for the Yellowjacket baseball team, pitching has been a constant. Heading into play Friday, the Yellowjackets had been able to keep opponents at bay offensively with some of the best pitching the program has ever seen.
 
On the year, the Yellowjackets had never allowed more than nine runs in a game (two times) and the most hits allowed was 13 (three times). Limiting the other team's offense, combined with rock-solid defense put the Yellowjackets in a position to get the 2023 campaign off to a strong start.
 
That changed a bit Friday.
 
Minnesota Morris showed up at Becker Park Friday, and they brought their big bats with them, combining to score 21 runs and bang out 31 hits in a sweep of the Yellowjackets. The Cougars came from behind to take the opening game in walk-off fashion, 10-9, before again rallying to take the second game 11-10.
 
With the losses, the Yellowjackets are 11-11 overall and 7-3 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The Yellowjackets remain in first place in the conference, but had their lead over Northland and Morris shrink.
 
Game One
Things started off well for the Yellowjackets in the opener, as Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), who's been a hot hitter of late, singled, scoring two runs to put the Yellowjackets in front. Typically, with ace lefthander Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) on the mound, that would be enough offense, but the Cougars had other ideas.
 
Morris cut the Yellowjacket lead in half in the bottom of the second, then took the lead when David Steffen and Ben Meuser each homered to make it 4-2 after three innings.
 
Jordan Trimble (Victorville, Calif./Grandview (Colo.)) pulled the Yellowjackets to within a run in the top of the fifth, pulling a ball over the fence in right field for his first home run of the season.
 
In the top of the sixth the Yellowjackets regained the lead.
 
Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) led off the inning with a single and stole second. Christian Garcia (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) followed with a walk, and Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) tied the game at 4-4 with a double to left field. Garcia came in to score on a sacrifice fly, and the Yellowjackets went up 6-4 when Steiner scored on an Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) single.
 
The Yellowjackets increased the lead to 7-4 in the seventh when Rhodes singled through the left side, scoring Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) with two outs.
 
Morris didn't go away, however, and again used the long ball to draw even. This time Tyler Scheler did the damage, hitting a two-run shot to center, tying it 7-7 through seven.
 
The Yellowjackets again pulled in front in the top of the eighth, this time with Dagostino singling to left field, scoring Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and Trimble, making it 9-7.
 
The Yellowjacket bullpen couldn't hold the lead, however, and Morris came storing back in the bottom of the ninth. They tied the game on a two-run, one-out triple to right field, then won the game on a sacrifice fly, making the final 11-10.
 
Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) had another strong game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Trimble and Dagostino also had two hits each.

Rodriguez went six innings for the Yellowjackets and allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits. He struck out four. Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks) pitched 2.1 innings and then gave way to Aiden Pfeifer (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) who took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the year.

Game Two
The Yellowjackets again got it rolling early in the second game, plating four runs in the top of the first courtesy of a grand slam from Garcia, his second home run of the season. Morris answered with a single run in the bottom of the second to make it 4-1.
 
It stayed that way until the fifth when the Yellowjackets added another run. Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) came across to make it 5-1 when Dagostino singled up the middle.
 
But in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars exploded for seven runs to move in front 8-5. The big blows came courtesy of home runs by Ethan Schmitz and Alex Goedhard. Morris added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to take an 11-5 lead.
 
This time it was the Yellowjackets that wouldn't go away, however. Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) singled to center field in the top of the eighth, scoring Steiner. Sam McNosky (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) followed with a sacrifice fly, pulling the Yellowjackets to within 11-7.

Then in the ninth, Garcia singled to center to score Dagostino, pulling the Yellowjackets to within 11-8. Fugere then singled home Steiner, and suddenly it was a two-run game. After a Morris pitching change, Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) brought home Garcia, making it a one-run game. Yellowjacket head coach TJ Oakes went to the bench and had Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) come to bat with the tying run at second, but he was retired and the Cougars held on for the win.
 
Garcia paced the 14-hit attack for the Yellowjackets, going 4-for-5 with five runs batted in. Dagostino had three hits, two runs scored and a run driven in. In the doubleheader, Dagostino was 5-for-9 with three runs scored and three RBI.
 
Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) got the start on the mound for the Yellowjackets and went four innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits. He takes the loss and falls to 1-3 on the year. Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) pitched two innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Owen Santiago (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) went the rest of the way, pitching two scoreless innings.
 
The Yellowjackets and Cougars are scheduled to play the third game of their series Saturday, April 15 at Reynolds Park, on the campus of the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.