SUPERIOR, Wis. – After playing over half of their schedule on the road, the Yellowjacket baseball team finally took the field at NBC Spartan Sports Complex, taking on North Central in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action.
Entering Saturday UWS had won five of their last six, as its offense began to perk up to a batting average of .288. As for the Rams, they came into the contest on a sixteen-game losing streak while swinging at a .199 clip.
During the doubleheader opener the Yellowjackets simply could not find an answer for Rams starting pitcher Christian Rodriguez, as he allowed two runs on four hits to propel North Central to their second win of the 2024 season. The 'Jackets turned things around in game two, however, scoring 10 runs to earn a victory in seven innings.
Game One Notes
- UW-Superior struck first in the bottom half of the fourth inning, commencing with a single to right field by Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) before Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) did the same thing. An error in right field prompted Dagostino to touch home plate for the first run of the ballgame.
- Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) singled to left center, scoring Steiner to take a 2-0 lead.
- The Rams' offense sparked in the top of the seventh, reaching by way of base on balls and a costly throwing error, evening the score at 2-2.
- North Central's Chris Garza singled through the right side to lead off the top of the ninth before advancing to second on an error. After stealing third he was driven in by a sacrifice fly courtesy of Nate Boyer.
- The Yellowjackets were unable to muster a comeback in the final frame, as they lost to the Rams 3-2.
- With Saturday's game one win, North Central picked up their first victory over the 'Jackets since their first contest dating back to 2008.
- Zach Romans (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael) continues to put together good outings, as he pitched six innings allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five in the process.
- Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle), Adam Jensen (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) and Miles Kay (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) also saw time on the bump. Jensen was tabbed with the loss, bringing his record to 1-1.
Game Two Notes
- UWS wasted no time in the second game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning which began with leadoff hitter Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) singling up the middle. A failed pickoff attempt moved him to second base before scoring on an error by the first baseman.
- Dagostino would get cashed in by a Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville Senior) sacrifice fly, giving the Yellowjackets an early 2-0 edge.
- The next frame for the 'Jackets finished with four runs off three hits, as the Yellowjackets got the bases loaded for Dagostino to plate two. Steiner followed with a two RBI single of his own, moving ahead of the Rams 6-0.
- In the bottom of the seventh inning, Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) reached on an infield single before Sybrant singled down the left field line. Pinch hitter Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) would single through the left side before Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) and Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) reached on throwing errors, scoring the last three runs to trigger the 10-run rule.
- Fugere finished the second game going 2-4 with an RBI, while Dagostino and Steiner finished with three and two RBIs, respectively.
- Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) pitched a full seven inning shutout, picking up his second win of the season. He allowed nine hits on the afternoon while walking one and fanning two.
The Yellowjackets and Rams return to the NBC Spartan Sports Complex Sunday to wrap up their conference series. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. in Superior.
