SUPERIOR, Wis. – Saturday marked the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season end for the Yellowjacket baseball team, as it finished a three-game series with Bethany Lutheran. After already clinching a spot in the postseason tournament, the 'Jackets and Vikings, along with Northwestern and Crown, entered Saturday in a fight for seeding.
Saturday's opener in Superior was much closer than Friday's contest, but the Vikings still found ways to score and took game one 7-5. The Yellowjackets countered in the second game, as they would score five runs and blank the Vikings 5-0 to salvage a doubleheader split.
Game One Notes
- The opener was delayed two hours due to rain, pushing opening pitch to 4 p.m.
- Bethany Lutheran struck in the top of the second as Connor Jones clubbed a one-out homer to left field. The next inning saw Malachi Santiago singling followed by an Aidan Russell double before Nolan Spence plated Santiago making the game 2-0.
- Another run for the Vikings came across in the top of the sixth, as Jones singled to score the leadoff man Spence who singled to left.
- The Yellowjackets finally got on the board in the bottom half, beginning with a two out walk from Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area). He advanced into scoring position off a wild pitch, leading to an Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) single through the right side, cashing in Voight and cutting the deficit to 3-1.
- UWS wasn't done there, as three runs and three hits came in the bottom of the seventh, beginning with Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) reaching on an error from the Vikings' shortstop. Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) doubled to right, and Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) collected a pinch-hit RBI single to right field.
- Voight would single through the left side to plate Ondrus and O'Dwyer, giving the Yellowjackets a 4-3 lead.
- The Vikings countered with three runs in the next frame, as two runs came on a double down the left field line. Another run was cashed in on an error from the Yellowjacket first baseman, which saw Bethany Lutheran retake the lead at 6-4.
- Another run came in the top of the ninth inning for the Vikings, but the Yellowjackets got it back as Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) hit a homer to left field, but that would be all as the Vikings captured the opener 7-5.
- Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) pitched four innings on the afternoon, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out three.
- Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) entered in relief of Welle, going three innings and surrendering four hits and two runs of his own.
- Ethan Coady (Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke School of the Arts) followed and was ultimately tagged with the loss. His records stands at 3-1. Shutting the door for the Yellowjackets was Reese Fleig (Washburn, Wis./Washburn), pitching two innings and allowing a run, a hit, and a walk while fanning one.
- Ondrus was 2-2 with an RBI, being one of three Yellowjackets with a multiple-hit game. Fugere and Voight accounted for the other two.
Game Two Notes
- The 'Jackets came out swinging in the second game, as Ondrus continued his hot streak with a single to right center in the bottom of the first. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) followed that up with a single of his own before Voight was plunked to load the bases for Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East), who reached on a fielder's choice.
- Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville Senior) doubled to right center, ultimately plating Fugere to take an early 3-0 lead.
- The final two runs scored for the Yellowjackets came in the next inning, as O'Dwyer doubled to left center field and Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) reached base by way of a walk. After O'Dwyer stole third, Wylee Arro (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) drove in O'Dwyer before Steiner singled to score Rhodes, giving UWS a 5-0 edge.
- Yellowjacket hurler Aiden Pfeifer (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) was masterful, allowing just one hit in five innings of work while striking out seven on his way to win number six on the campaign.
- Adam Jensen (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) and Josh Pritchard (Surrey, British Columbia/Clayton Heights Secondary) each pitched two innings of hitless baseball, as well. Jensen fanned one while Pritchard collected four K's.
- Sybrant was 3-4 in game two with an RBI, while Steiner was 2-4 in the contest.
UWS (20-17, 14-7 UMAC) enters the 2024 UMAC Postseason Tournament as the No. 3 seed after the Vikings clinched the regular season title with game one's victory.
The Yellowjackets commence playoffs Thursday, as they face the No. 2 seeded tournament hosts in Northwestern. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Reynolds Field in Saint Paul, Minn.
