DUNDAS, Minn. – There's still plenty of snow on the ground, and earlier this week classes were actually canceled due to cold weather, but Friday the Yellowjacket softball team opened its 2025 campaign, playing a pair of non-conference games under the dome in Dundas.
 
In the opening game, the Yellowjackets wasted little time jumping on Macalester, scoring six times in the first inning on the way to an 11-2 win. Things were a little more difficult in the second game, as the 'Jackets couldn't hold onto a lead in the middle innings and Carleton blew thing open late, defeating the Yellowjackets 9-6.
 
Karen Balabon (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) had a good day to open the season, going a combined 3-for-6 in the two games and also drawing three walks. She scored three runs and drove in two. Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) also had a big day, driving in five runs in the two games.
 
Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) hit the first home run of the year for the Yellowjackets (1-1, 0-0 UMAC), going deep in the second inning of the first game, hitting a two-run blast over the fence in right-center field.
 
Game One Notes

• Thomson got the scoring started in the top of the first inning, singling up the middle to score to bring home Balabon and Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano).
• Hanna Hovland (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) walked with bases loaded to bring home the third run, and two hitters later Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) singled to make it a 4-0 game.
• Peyton Bennett (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg) doubled to right center, scoring two more runs to put the 'Jackets up 6-0.
• In the second Macal's homer added two more runs, and then Balabon singled home another run in the fourth to push he lead to 9-0.
• Macalester scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Yellowjackets got the runs back.
• Bennett scored in the sixth on a ground out and Thomson singled home the game's final run in the seventh to make the final 11-2.
• Stuckmayer and Balabon each scored two runs.
• Thomson drove in three runs, while Macal and Balabon drove in two apiece.
• Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) started in the circle and gave up one run on three hits in three innings before giving way to Sophia Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) who pitched two innings, giving up one run on two hits. She got the win.

Game Two Notes

• Carleton opened the scoring, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
• The Yellowjackets answered with four runs in the top of the third.
• Thomson again got things started, singling to right field, scoring Stuckmayer and Bennett to tie the game. Balabon came home on a sacrifice fly, putting the Yellowjackets in front. Later in the inning Norah Schmitz (Carver County, Minn./Waconia) doubled to right center, scoring Thomson, extending the Yellowjacket lead to 4-2.
• Carleton rallied in the bottom of the third, scoring three times to retake the lead. The Knights added four more runs in the sixth, pushing the Carleton lead to 9-4.
• In the top of the seventh Hanson singled up the middle to score Kendallyn Kalenberg (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) to make it 9-5. Bennett followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 9-6. Later Balabon came to the plate representing he tying run, but Carleton snuffed out the Yellowjacket rally.
• Bennett and Stuckmayer paced the offense with two hits each.
• Abby Mitchell (Cloquet, Minn./Carlton) started in the circle and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits in two innings.
• Garley took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits without recording an out.
• Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo), Georgia Youngblood (Ray, Mich./Lutheran North) and Emma Pillion (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) also pitched in the game.

The Yellowjackets are back in action Saturday, March 1 when they open play in the UW-Oshkosh Invitational. Their first game against Wisconsin Lutheran begins with a first pitch at noon.
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