OSHKOSH, Wis. – For the Yellowjacket softball team, it all came down to Friday.
 
Following Thursday's loss to Concordia Wisconsin, the Yellowjackets needed to win their game Friday, and keep on winning, to keep their season alive. On tap first was a meeting with Luther College. The Norse, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament out of the American Rivers Conference tournament, were dispatched in their first game of the regional by UW-Oshkosh, putting them in the same win-or-go-home scenario as the Yellowjackets.
 
Something had to give Friday, and unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, it was their season.
 
The game started tight and was tied after five innings, but Luther pulled away in the final two frames to advance with an 8-2 win over the Yellowjackets.
 
It was a bit of an uncharacteristic game for the Yellowjackets, who again struggled to find gaps in the defense. After getting just three hits in the loss to Concordia Wisconsin, the Yellowjackets had just two in this one. Making matters worse was the Yellowjacket defense had a tough day, committing a season-high six errors in the game.
 
The teams were scoreless through two before Luther plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third, scoring on back-to-back errors to make it 2-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth the Yellowjackets took advantage of a Luther error to cut the deficit in half. Tayler Kraemer (Spring Green, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), who earlier in the day was named All-Region IX First Team by the American Fastpitch Coaches Association, led off the inning reaching on an error. On a sacrifice she moved all the way to third before scoring on a fielder's choice.
 
The Yellowjackets tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Cassie Bergman (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff double to the gap in right center. Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) bunted her over to third, and Bergman scored on a sacrifice fly by MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset).
 
That's as close as the Yellowjackets would get, and the Norse pulled away in the sixth, scoring four times. The big blow was a two-run triple by Leah Crown, making it a 6-2 game. A two-run double in the top of the seventh by Anna Forari gave Luther the 8-2 lead, and more than enough insurance to win the game.
 
In the bottom of the seventh the Yellowjackets mounted a threat, and put two runners on, but Luther snuffed out the rally and put an end to the Yellowjacket season.
 
Kraemer started in the circle and went the distance, allowing eight runs (six earned) on eight hits. She walked six and struck out one. She finishes the year with a 20-12 record.
 
Bergman paced the offense for the Yellowjackets, recording both of the team's hits. She went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
 
The Yellowjackets close the 2023 season with a 31-13 record.