SUPERIOR, Wis. –The Yellowjacket softball team delivered a dominant doubleheader performance, sweeping Minnesota Morris behind a relentless offensive attack and strong pitching efforts at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex Friday afternoon.
After claiming an 8-4 win in the opening game of the three-game series, the Yellowjackets broke things wide open in Game two, scoring 11 runs across the second and third innings to earn a 12-0 victory in five innings, taking the first two of three against the Cougars.
Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) continued her offensive tear, finishing the day 6-for-6 with three extra-base hits, including two home runs and five RBIs. Macal is now batting .532 on the year. In the circle,
Abby Mitchell (Cloquet, Minn./Carlton) and
Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) each earned wins, with Mitchell going the distance in game one and Garley and
Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) combining on a four-hit shutout in game two.
The Yellowjackets improved to 24-5 overall and remain perfect in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play at 11-0.
Game One Notes
- Minnesota Morris struck first with a run in the second, but UW-Superior responded quickly. Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) launched a solo home run in the third to tie the game, followed by an RBI single from Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano) that scored Macal for a 2-1 lead.
- After the Cougars tied it in the fifth, Macal took over, blasting a two-run homer to left center in the bottom half to reclaim the lead. Larissa Snyder (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park), making her season debut after returning from injury, added a two-RBI single to cap off a four-run frame.
- Macal struck again in the sixth with her second homer of the game, giving her five on the season and 33 RBIs.
- Mitchell improved to 4-1 in the circle with a complete game, allowing nine hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out six.
- Macal went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) added a double and a single.
Game Two Notes
- The Yellowjackets exploded for six runs in the second inning. Karen Balabon (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right center, followed by RBI singles from Peyton Bennett (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg), Thomson, and Macal to make it 6-0.
- Garley smashed her second home run of the season in the third inning, a two-run shot to center that extended the lead to 8-0. Macal and Hanson each added RBIs later in the frame to push the score to 11-0.
- Kylie Hochsprung (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) capped the scoring with an RBI double in the fourth.
- Every starter in the Yellowjacket lineup recorded a hit, with 14 total on the night.
- Garley improved to 10-4, tossing four shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out four. Swartz pitched a scoreless fifth.
- Balabon drove in three runs and reached base twice. Macal added two hits and an RBI double.
The Yellowjackets return to action Saturday, April 19, at 11 a.m. against Minnesota Morris to close out the three-game series at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
