DAVENPORT, Fla. – It has been a difficult week in Florida for the Yellowjacket baseball team. After winning their first two games, the Yellowjackets dropped their next five heading into Saturday's trip finale against William Paterson out of Wayne, N.J.
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The Yellowjackets struck first Saturday and built a lead midway through the game, but William Paterson rallied and downed the Yellowjackets 8-4 at Northeast Regional Park.
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With the loss, the Yellowjackets sit at 5-8 on the year.
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Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) led the Yellowjacket offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and one RBI.
Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville Senior) and
Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) added two hits apiece. The Yellowjackets were outhit by William Paterson 14-10.
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Zach Romans (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael) started on the mound for the Yellowjackets and went 4-1 innings before yielding to
Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area), who went 3.1 innings and took the loss.
Adam Jensen (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) pitched he final 1.1 innings.
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Game Notes
- Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) scored the first run of the game for the 'Jackets, coming across on an infield single by Sybrant in the bottom of the first.
- Steiner (triple) and Sybrant (single) had RBI hits for the Yellowjackets in the third, staking them to a 3-0 lead.
- William Paterson cut the lead to one with a two-run fourth. They took the lead with two more runs in the seventh and then blew the game open with a three-run eighth. They added an insurance run in the ninth.
- Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) drove in the final run of the day for UWS with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.
- Sybrant finished the game with two runs batted in.
- Welle was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs (three earned). His record now stands at 0-1 for the season.
- Romans had another strong start on the mound, allowing two runs on seven hits to go along with a walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts. The lanky right-hander has now whiffed 26 hitters in 20 innings.
Next up for the Yellowjackets is their first dip into Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) for the 2024 season. The Yellowjackets will be at Northland Friday, March 22. The first pitch from LumberJack Field is set for 3 p.m.
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