OSHKOSH, Wis. – After a one-year absence, the Yellowjacket softball team made its return to the NCAA Tournament this year, the fifth time in program history UW-Superior has reached the NCAA's biggest stage.
Playing in the UW-Oshkosh regional, the Yellowjackets opened the tournament with a difficult task, taking on Concordia University Wisconsin. The Falcons, who came into the day 37-3 and riding a 28-game winning streak, are the No. 14 ranked team in NCAA Division III.
And on this day, Concordia looked the part of one of the hottest team in the nation.
The Falcons scored runs in each of the first two innings and then put the game away with a big sixth inning, defeating the Yellowjackets 8-0.
With the loss, the Yellowjackets (31-12) will now have to win to remain in the double-elimination regional.
The Yellowjackets struggled at the plate Thursday, limited to only three hits by Concordia pitcher Gina Followell, who struck out 10.
Concordia opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Claudia Utz hit a two-run home run to left field. The Falcons added to it with a single run in the bottom of the second.
It stayed 3-0 until the fifth when Utz drove in another run with a double to the gap in left center. Concordia closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times to make it 8-0. The big blow in the inning was a two-run triple by Sydney Erdmann, her second and third runs batted in of the game.
The Yellowjackets got one hit each from
Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson),
MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) and pinch hitter
Cassie Bergman (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East).
Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) got the start in the circle and pitched a complete game for the Yellowjackets. She allowed eight runs on 11 hits. She walked five and struck out four.
Next up for the Yellowjackets is an elimination game Friday. They will take on Luther College (32-9) out of Decorah, Iowa. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.
