SAINT PAUL, Minn. – If one rewinds to the 2022 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) baseball tournament, they will remember tournament-host Northwestern facing off against the No. 4 seeded Yellowjackets. UWS put the playoff field on notice, exploding for 11 runs in the first four innings and ultimately down the Eagles 11-5.
 
Two years later, these teams would meet again in the postseason tournament but under different circumstances. Reynolds Field was deemed the predetermined UMAC championship site before the 2024 campaign. The Eagles clinched a playoff spot and found themselves as the No. 2 seed while the Yellowjackets landed the No. 3 seed, setting the table for another highly anticipated playoff matchup.
 
The Yellowjackets opened the game on a high note yet again, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning courtesy of back-to-back home runs. The bats wouldn't stop there, though, as UWS exploded to a 12-run lead to down the Eagles 12-0 in a swift one hour and 45-minute game.
 
Game Notes

• Senior leadoff man Nick Fredrikson (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) sparked the inning with a hard-hit double past the Eagles' third baseman. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) moved Fredrikson with a grounder to the right side before Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) hit a towering home run over the left field wall, taking a 2-0 lead.
• The 'Jackets added another run with an Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) homer to left, jumping ahead to 3-0.
• Inning number four saw Fugere single to left and Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) single up the middle, setting the table for designated hitter Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko). He swung at the first pitch he saw, lifting a ball over the left field wall, boosting the Yellowjackets in front by a score of 6-0.
• Northwestern would pull their starting pitcher Bryce Crabb at the end of the fourth, but UWS kept the scoring going as Steiner was plunked before being advanced to second. He would advance to third and ultimately score on back-to-back wild pitches.
• The final blow came in the top of the seventh, as Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) doubled down the left field line. Steiner singled up the middle to plate Rhodes before Voight was hit by a pitch. After wild pitches and passed balls advanced runners to scoring position, Fugere tallied an RBI single to right field to lift the 'Jackets 10-0.
• After an Eagles pitching change, Ondrus welcomed him to the game with a two RBI single to center, delivering the last punch and leading 12-0.
• Yellowjacket starter Aiden Pfeifer (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) was phenomenal on his way to his seventh win on the campaign. In seven innings, he allowed only four hits while walking two and fanning five.
• Eagles starter Bryce Crabb was tagged with the loss, pitching four innings and allowing six hits on six runs.

 
The Yellowjackets move to the winner's bracket and face off against Crown, who defeated top-seeded Bethany Lutheran 2-1 in extra innings. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Reynolds Field.
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