MANKATO, Minn. – Under the tutelage of head coach Melissa Fracker, the Yellowjacket softball team has won, but it hasn't been easy.

In her first season, the Yellowjackets dropped the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament opener and had to battle its way through the back door to win conference title. The next year, the Yellowjackets were the regular season's best, but again dropped the tournament opener, and this time they weren't as lucky, falling in the UMAC title game. A year ago, the 'Jackets again dropped a game in the tournament and had to come from behind to raise a banner.
 
The Yellowjackets are a battle-tested group, and heading into this year's tournament, they were bound and determined to make things a little bit easier.
 
And boy did they.

After winning close games in each of the first two rounds, including Friday's meeting with top-seeded Bethany Lutheran, the Yellowjackets punched their ticket to the UMAC championship game, where they would once again have to meet Bethany Lutheran.
 
The 'Jackets took care of business both Thursday and Friday, and they did the hard work again Saturday to win the crown.
 
Despite falling behind early, the Yellowjackets fought back more than once to win the seesaw battle, 6-5 over the Vikings Saturday afternoon at Thomas Park.
 
With the victory, the Yellowjackets (26-13) needed only three games to win the UMAC title and will now advance to the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in program history.
 
MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) played the heroine Saturday, ripping a two-out double to the gap in left center, scoring Camille Wikstrom (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown), who was pinch running for Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson), to give the Yellowjackets the win in walk-off style. Thomson led off the bottom of the seventh with a ground-rule double.


The Yellowjackets had 11 hits in the game, compared to 12 for Bethany Lutheran, who led 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) started in the circle for the Yellowjackets and went three innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) came on in relief of Garley and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts to earn the win.
 
Game Notes

• For her efforts on the weekend, Leccia was named the UMAC Softball Tournament Most Valuable Player.
• Bethany Lutheran scored in the top of the first inning to take the early lead, but the Yellowjackets came right back in the bottom of the inning when Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) singled to left field, plating Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano Senior).
• Later in the first Leccia doubled to center, scoring Macal and Indigo Fish (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) to put the Yellowjackets up 3-1 after one inning.
• It stayed that way until Bethany Lutheran scored three runs in the fourth to pull in front 4-3. The Vikings added another run in the fifth to take a two-run lead.
• The Yellowjackets got one run back in the bottom of the fifth when Larissa Snyder (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scored on a Thomson groundout.
• In the bottom of the sixth the Yellowjackets tied it up on a Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) single to center, scoring Swartz.
• Offensively, the Yellowjackets got two hits each from Macal, Leccia and Karen Balabon (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) to lead the attack.
• Leccia drove in three of the six Yellowjacket runs.
• With the win, Swartz's record in the circle improves to 9-3.

 
The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, May 13 at 10 a.m. CT. That is when the Yellowjackets will learn what regional they will be playing, as well as the day, time and opponent for their first game. Stay tuned to uwsyellowjackets.com for up-to-the-minute Yellowjacket softball and NCAA Tournament information.
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