MANKATO, Minn. – The Yellowjacket baseball team traveled to ISG Field to take on Bethany Lutheran College in a series with significant Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) implications Friday. Both teams threw their aces in the series opener, leading to a pitching duel at Franklin Rogers Park.
 
The Vikings scored a run in the bottom of the first after a Yellowjacket error, and scored again in the seventh after a bang-bang play at first base. Superior had a runner in scoring position in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but they couldn't drive them in as BLC won the UMAC opener 2-0.
 
With the victory, Bethany Lutheran captured the regular season conference championship for the 2025 campaign.
 
Game Notes

• A two-out RBI single scored BLC's first run of the ballgame in the bottom half of the first.
• Jonny Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior) broke up Trent Ash's no hitter in the top of the sixth inning, singling up the middle. Payton Steiner (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) followed with a single of his own to send Rhodes into scoring position but couldn't register another hit in the inning.
• Superior showed life in the top of the seventh as Tanner Voight (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) hit a leadoff double down the left field line.
• Wylee Lottman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) drew a walk with two outs but that would be all for the Yellowjackets after Ash collected a looking strikeout.
• A leadoff double for Bethany Lutheran began their half of the seventh before a Yellowjacket wild pitch would advance the runner to third. Malachai Santiago laced a ball up the middle but a diving play by Noah Dagostino (Andover, Minn./Andover) kept the runner stranded.
• Yellowjacket hurler Ben Welle (Melrose, Minn./Melrose) logged a swinging strikeout to Seth Jones for the second out of the inning. After getting a groundball, a bang-bang play at first base fell in favor of the Vikings, allowing the second run to cross home plate.
• Ash got the first out of the ninth inning before he was relieved by Ty Vollmar, who came away with the save after garnering two strikeouts.
• Welle's record falls to 5-2 after a strong outing. He pitched a full eight innings, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out six.

 
The Yellowjackets (18-19, 12-7 UMAC) will compete for a spot in the UMAC Tournament tomorrow as they finish their series with BLC. The opening pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. at ISG Field.
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