MAPLE GROVE, Minn. – The Yellowjacket softball team hopped back into Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action Friday, taking on Crown College in a three-game series. Since returning to the Midwest after basking in the Florida heat the 'Jackets have been swinging it well, scoring 38 unanswered runs after sweeping Martin Luther while garnering a .412 batting average.
The Polars also entered the day with a strong offense, swinging at a .326 clip while also picking up 38 runs in their series sweep of North Central, setting up three games with some of the league's best hitting to date.
Crown ultimately struck first in the bottom of the first, but a four-run third inning gave the 'Jackets a lead. The Polars plated three more in the fourth, but three runs in the late innings proved to be the deciding factor for the Yellowjackets, emerging with a 7-5 victory.
Game Notes
- A leadoff walk followed by a wild pitch gave CC its first run of the afternoon before plating another with two outs.
- Superior got started with a leadoff triple from Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano) in the top of the third inning. Norah Schmitz (Carver County, Minn./Waconia) later drove her in with a sacrifice fly for their first run of the contest.
- Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) got on base and advanced into scoring position on a Polar error, and she was plated by Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) who clubbed a two-out single.
- Another triple came from the Yellowjackets, and this time it was Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter). She plated Thomson before Baylee O'Donnell (Mendota Hights, Minn./Richfield) reached on a fielder's choice and scored her, allowing the Yellowjackets to lead 4-2.
- Crown took the lead yet again in the bottom half of the fourth, as a pair of singles set up Kaylee Fude for an RBI double. Two more runs came across for Crown, going up 5-4.
- The top of the sixth inning began with a Schmitz single before Payton Bennett garnered an RBI triple to level the scoring. A Hanson sacrifice fly to left drove in Bennett to take the lead 6-5.
- A one-out single coming from Sophia Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) got the 'Jackets going again in their half of the seventh inning. Schmitz doubled to plate Otto for Superior's last insurance run, leading 7-5.
- Despite a pair of singles in the seventh inning, Yellowjacket pitcher Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) drew two pop outs and a fly out to end the game, as she secured her eighth win of the campaign.
- Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) got the start in the circle, pitching 3.1 innings on the afternoon and striking out a pair.
- Four Yellowjackets collected a pair of hits in the opener, coming off the bat of Bennett, Leccia, Schmitz and Stuckmayer. Schmitz also had a team-leading two RBIs in the contest, as well.
The 'Jackets and the Polars wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon. Their doubleheader is set to start at 12 p.m. back at Gleason Fields.
