MANKATO, Minn. – A year ago, the Yellowjacket softball team was the No. 1 seed in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament. As the No. 1 seed, the Yellowjackets earned the right to host the event, and also played the lowest seed in the tournament. A year ago, that was Minnesota Morris. The 'Jackets dropped that tournament-opening game to Morris, and as a result they were forced to take the long way back into the championship bracket.

After rain delayed the start of Thursday's tournament opener by an hour, the Yellowjackets got off to a slow start but found their offense late on the way to a 4-2 victory over Northwestern.
 
With the victory, the Yellowjackets (28-10) advance in the UMAC tournament winners bracket, where they will meet the No. 1 seed, Bethany Lutheran, Friday.
 
Northwestern got the scoring started early, jumping on the Yellowjackets in the top of the first for a pair of runs. The Eagles strung together four hits in the top of the first, including a pair of doubles, to go in front 2-0.
 
Jenna Hoops (Woodbury, Minn./Visitation School) led off the bottom of the second with a single up the middle and was sacrificed into scoring position. Hoops moved to third on a ground out and then came in to score when Norah Schmitz (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) singled to right field, cutting the Northwestern lead in half. It was the ninth RBI of the year for Schmitz.
 
The Yellowjackets came back and tied it in the bottom of the fourth when Larissa Snyder (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) blasted a one-out pitch over the fence in left field, tying the game 2-2. It was the second homer of the year for the Yellowjacket freshman shortstop.
 
In the top of the sixth inning Northwestern loaded the bases with one out, but the Yellowjacket defense and starter Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) were able to work out of the jam.
 
The Yellowjackets started the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single by Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson), who was lifted for pinch runner Camille Wikstrom (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown). Hoops followed with a long at bat where she battled back from being down 1-2 to work out a walk. Morgan Young (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) came in to pinch run for Hoops. With speed on the bases, the Yellowjackets executed a double steal to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out.
 
Snyder put the Yellowjackets in front, bringing in Wikstrom with a ground out to the right side to make it 3-2. Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Young to give the Yellowjackets a two-run lead.
 
Northwestern was able to get a runner on base in the seventh, but the Yellowjackets shut the door to gut out the win.
 
Kraemer went the distance in the circle for the Yellowjackets, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. She walked three and struck out five to earn her 17th win of the season.
 
The Yellowjackets will take on Bethany Lutheran Friday at the Bethany Lutheran Softball Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. The winner will advance to the UMAC championship game, while the losing team would move into the consolation bracket and play elimination games the rest of the tournament.