MAPLE GROVE, Minn. – The Yellowjacket baseball team finished their series with the North Central Rams on a high note Saturday with a 26-6 victory. After hitting six home runs in Saturday's doubleheader, the Yellowjacket offense continued to hit the long ball, adding five more in the contest to earn a UMAC sweep of NCU.
Game Notes
- The offense would start out hot scoring four runs in the first. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) would hit a two-run homer and with two outs, Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) would continue the dinger train by adding one under his belt.
- With the bases loaded, Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior) would be hit by a pitch which would score Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko), giving UWS a swift 4-0 lead.
- In the top of the second inning, the bases would be loaded again thanks to a walk from Steiner, a Maxton Howell (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) single, and Voight being hit by a pitch. Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville) would earn an RBI after also getting hit by a pitch, scoring Steiner.
- UWS batted around after putting up nine runs off four hits in the inning. With the bases still loaded Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) would walk, scoring Howell.
- Shortly after Rhodes would single to the left side, scoring two 'Jackets making the score 9-1. Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) would single to left field, scoring Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) followed by Howell hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Rhodes.
- Dagostino would make a trip around the bases and score Superior's 12th run of the game off a wild pitch. Later a passed ball would bring home Steiner, ending the frame for the Yellowjackets.
- In the Yellowjacket third four more runs were tacked on as Steiner sent another ball over the fence, bringing the score to 17-1.
- The Rams would plate a run in the bottom of the fourth and put a four spot on Superior in their half of the fifth.
- The scoring for the Yellowjackets wouldn't pick up again until the top of the sixth as Howell would hit a double down the line to bring in Steiner. Will Czech (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) would hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Howell, before the 'Jackets would hit back-to-back home runs off the bats of Ondrus and O'Dwyer.
- Superior's offense would be capped off in the top of the seventh, adding another five runs to their total. Czech would hit a double to right field, scoring Mason McKellar (Nashotah, Wis./Arrowhead) and Wylee Arro (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) who reached on an error and walked, respectively.
- Devin Frydenlund (Belleville, Wis./Belleville) would club a pinch-hit RBI single to center, scoring Czech for the final run of the day, giving the 'Jackets a 26-6 win.
- Josh Pritchard (Surrey, British Columbia/Clayton Heights Secondary) started on the mound for Superior, finishing his day with four strikeouts and just one hit. He gave way to Declan Higgins (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) and Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks), before Payton Mangold (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township), Kevin Rahe (Princeton, Minn./Princeton) and Miles Kay (Albertville, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville) also appeared on the bump.
- UWS plated 26 runs Sunday, tying for the most runs scored in a single game in the last 31 years. The last time the Yellowjackets scored 26 runs dates to the 2016 season in a 26-0 victory over Finlandia.
The Yellowjackets look to continue their hot streak of hitting against UMAC opponent Minnesota Morris next week. The first pitch is set to be thrown Friday at 3 p.m. at Marthaler Field in Glenwood, Minn.
