SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket baseball team resumed Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) postseason tournament action Friday, taking on Crown College. The Polars defeated Bethany Lutheran in extra innings Thursday evening, placing themselves in the winner's bracket going into day two.
 
The 'Jackets came into Friday in the driver's seat, downing tournament-host Northwestern 12-0 in seven innings as Aiden Pfeifer (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) threw a complete game shutout.
 
Friday's semifinal game was a pitching duel, as both teams were unable to scratch the run column for seven full innings despite getting runners in scoring position. When the bottom of the eighth came around for the Yellowjackets, they rallied for four runs, propelling them over the Polars 4-0.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets advance to the championship on Saturday.
 
Game Notes

• Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) was given the start Friday, marking his 12th of the campaign. Getting the start for Crown was Jacob Van Dam, his 11th of the season.
• Despite the zeros in the box score, both squads were presented with multiple opportunities to score with runners in scoring position.
• Crown threatened in the top of the fifth inning, as a leadoff single prompted a sacrifice situation for the nine-hitter, giving the Polars an opportunity to score with the top of their lineup. Welle bared down, keeping Crown at bay as he picked up two flyouts to strand two runners.
• UWS was presented with a similar opportunity in the bottom of the sixth, as Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) reached on a throwing error from Crown's second baseman. This saw Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) reach on an infield single before Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville Senior) reached on a fielder's choice, but Van Dam picked up the final out of the inning unscathed.
• The Yellowjackets finally struck in the bottom of the eighth inning, which commenced with a triple to right center from Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo). Voight smoked a double down the left field line, plating Steiner for the first run of the ballgame.
• Despite a Polars pitching change, the Yellowjackets picked up right where they left off. Sybrant executed a sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third, and Noah Dagostino's (Andover, Minn./Andover) ground ball to the third baseman got away from Crown's catcher, allowing Voight to score.
• Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) singled to left field, plating Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) who reached on a fielder's choice, along with Dagostino.
• After coming into relieve Welle in the eighth inning, Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) came in and produced two ground outs and a flyout to center field to shut the door, defeating Crown 4-0.
• Welle finished his afternoon with seven innings pitched, allowing just six hits while striking out two, capping a huge outing for the junior.

 
The Polars and Eagles faced off in an elimination game, which saw the Polars jump out to an early lead and ultimately emerge victorious by a score of 12-2.
 
The Yellowjackets will face off against Crown on Championship Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Reynolds Field. Read Full Article