SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket baseball team entered play Saturday on a roll. Winners of their last six, the Yellowjackets were a pair of games over .500 and sitting in second place in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). They were facing their biggest test in the early part of the conference season, however, as they hosted Crown College.
 
The Polars, meanwhile, found themselves just under .500 and sitting a pair of games back of the Yellowjackets in the conference standings. Both teams entered the weekend in playoff position.
 
Nine innings weren't enough to decide things between two of the top teams in the UMAC, but Crown got what it needed in the top of the 10th and held on to defeat the Yellowjackets 8-6 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
Crown did the bulk of its damage via the long ball, with seven of their eight runs coming by way of the home run. The big blow coming in the top of the 10th when Bryan Gerbers hit a two-run shot over the fence in left to provide the winning margin.
 
Trey Sybrant (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael-Albertville) continued his hot hitting for the Yellowjackets, going 2-for-5 and driving in a run.
 
Game Notes

• Crown jumped out to a 4-0 lead early. Ashton Long hit a solo home run to right center in the top of the second, and Tyler Bloom hit a three-run shot to right center in the third.
• The Yellowjackets cut the lead in half with a two-run third.
• With two outs in the inning, Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) reached on an error and went to third on a wild pitch. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) then reached on an error and advanced to second while also bringing in Dagostino.
• Sybrant followed with a single through the right side, making it 4-2.
• In the bottom of the fourth Cole Ondrus (Esko, Minn./Esko) came in from third on a wild pitch. Brian O'Dwyer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) then scored on a Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior) sacrifice fly, tying the game.
• Crown retook the lead in the top of the sixth, but the Yellowjackets answered in the bottom of the inning. O'Dwyer scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, 5-5. Dagostino then singled to left center, brining in Wylee Lotman, putting the Yellowjackets up a run.
• It stayed that way until Julian Encinas tied it in the ninth, leading off the inning with a home run to right center.
• With his two singles in the game, Sybrant extended his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .357 during the streak.
• Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose) got the start on the mound for the Yellowjackets and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over four innings.
• Riley Harbaugh (Banks, Ore./Banks) had a strong stint in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts over five innings.
• Ethan Coady (Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke School of the Arts) pitched the tenth and took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits. His record for the year is now 0-1.
• The Yellowjackets were hit by a pitch five times in the game. They also benefited from four Crown wild pitches and three errors.
• Crown outhit the Yellowjackets 10-8 in the game.

The Yellowjackets and Polars will close out their series with a pair of games Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
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