COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – For those living in the Midwest last year, they would remember an abundance of snow still on the ground in late February. These winter conditions would hold for the remainder of the spring season, forcing the Yellowjacket baseball team to travel for all but seven games in the 2023 campaign.
Mother Nature decided to ease things up in 2024, allowing the 'Jackets to play a non-conference game against Saint John's Monday.
The doubleheader would be played under Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) stipulations, meaning the first game would be seven innings and the second game nine unless the first game went into extra innings.
After Saint John's took an early 2-0 lead the 'Jackets clawed their way back into the first game, tying the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning to force extras. The Johnnies were down to two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning before they got a runner on base and drove him in, capturing a win in a thriller.
Newcomer
Zach Romans (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael) would get the start in game one, pitching three innings while allowing three hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out a pair. He would receive a no-decision on the afternoon.
Game two was a different story, however, as the Yellowjackets fell behind early and simply couldn't muster a comeback, opening the season with two losses to a tough MIAC competitor.
Game One Notes
- The Yellowjackets' first at-bat of 2024 came from Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover), who drew a walk to lead off game one. He would eventually advance to third on a throwing error by SJU's shortstop but would get gunned down at home on a bang-bang play.
- Saint John's would strike in the bottom of the second, as Blake Mellgren would belt a two-run home run to left field off Romans, allowing for a 2-0 Johnnies' lead.
- Notching the first Yellowjacket hit of the season was Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), who singled up the middle advancing Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) in the top of the fourth. Steiner would advance to third, but Saint John's pitcher Kody Dalen would bear down and strike out the final two batters of the inning to shut down the rally.
- The Yellowjackets would get their first run in the top of the sixth inning, as Steiner singled to right field before Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) roped a double to right-center field. With runners on first and second, the Johnnies turned a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the inning.
- In the bottom half of the inning, Jackson Peter would single to right field, but Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) executed a perfect relay from right fielder Trey Sybrant (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) to gun down the potential third run for Saint John's.
- Offensively Sybrant came through in a huge way in the bottom half of the seventh, singling to right field which scored Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) to notch the game at two.
- After Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) pitched three innings he gave way to Aiden Pfiefer, who turned in a huge performance for the Yellowjackets in the seventh inning, forcing extras.
- Saint John's would deliver the final blow in the bottom of the 11th, as Owen Best singled with two outs and Peter would rope a walk-off double to left center, scoring pinch runner Ryan Janzen.
- Following Pfeifer on the mound was Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle), pitching the final 1.2 innings of the contest. He would be tabbed with the loss.
- There was only a single groundout between the two teams in game one.
Game Two Notes
- The Yellowjackets turned to Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks) in game two, but SJU notched a quick two runs in the first off two hits. He would allow four more runs to come across, lasting two innings and taking the loss.
- Reese Fleig (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) would be the next Yellowjacket to toe the rubber, allowing just one hit and one run in 1.1 innings pitched.
- The Johnnies scored another run in the bottom of the fourth inning via the home run, extending their lead to 7-0.
- Voight would be credited with an RBI, as Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) scored the lone run for the 'Jackets after crushing a ball to the right-center gap, running through head coach TJ Oakes' stop sign and ending up with a triple.
- After Ethan Coady (Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke School of the Arts) took over for Fleig, he would throw 1.2 innings with two runs allowed on two hits, one walk and a strikeout.
- The final Yellowjacket pitcher to take the mound was newcomer Gio Basile (Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire North), who picked up his first collegiate strikeout in his first full inning of work.
The Yellowjackets are back in action Saturday taking on Augsburg in a three-game series. First pitch at FNBRF field is set for 1 p.m. in River Falls, Wis.
