SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket baseball team opened its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) finale against Bethany Lutheran Friday. Both squads, along with Northwestern and Crown have already clinched a spot in the postseason tournament next week, but still battle for both playoff seedings and the UMAC Regular Season Championship. With temperatures in the high 50's, the stage was set for a beautiful afternoon of baseball.
 
The Vikings struck first in the opening inning and UWS would follow, but it was a six-run second inning for Bethany Lutheran that put them on top, going ahead 7-1 and never surrendering the lead as they won 17-3 in seven innings.
 
Game Notes

• Bethany Lutheran took the lead in the top of the first, scoring one run on two hits with one left on base.
• UWS responded in the next frame, as Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) singled to right and stole second shortly after. Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) followed by reaching base on an error from the Vikings' third baseman before Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) singled to left, plating Steiner.
• The top of the second inning saw Matt Verdugo lead off with a solo shot. Yellowjacket starter Zach Romans (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael) got two outs but an error by the Yellowjacket centerfielder led way for the Vikings to score five more runs on five hits, ultimately forcing Romans out of the game. He would pitch just 1.2 innings, allowing six hits on seven runs with two of them earned. His record now stands at 5-2.
• Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks) relieved Romans and threw 1.1 innings with four hits and three runs.
• The Vikings would plate three more runs to take a 10-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning before Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) singled through the left side and Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) lifted a ball over the left center wall, bringing the score to 10-3.
• Bethany Lutheran plated seven more runs in the remainder of the game, including two home runs from Aiden Russell. He would end his day going 4-5 with six RBIs.
• The Vikings clubbed 17 hits on the afternoon while drawing four walks.
• Steiner, Lottman and O'Dwyer each accounted for two hits in the game.
• Kevin Rahe (Princeton, Minn./Princeton), Toby Boevers (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) and Gio Basile (Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire North) also pitched for the 'Jackets. Basile pitched the final frame and didn't allow a run.
• Vikings starter Drew Hedtke pitched a full seven innings, allowing ten hits on three runs with seven strikeouts. His record on the year moves to 5-1.

 
Both teams will conclude their series Saturday. First pitch from the NBC Spartan Sports Complex is slated for 2 p.m. Read Full Article