SUPERIOR, Wis. – After falling in the opener of a key Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) series, UW-Superior bounced back in dominant fashion to earn a doubleheader split with Bethany Lutheran on Saturday at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
The Yellowjackets dropped game one, 4-3, despite two home runs from
Peyton Bennett (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg), but responded with an emphatic 13-0, five-inning shutout in the second game behind a complete team performance and one-hit effort from
Abby Mitchell (Cloquet, Minn./Carlton) and
Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo).
With the split, the Yellowjackets move to 30-10 overall and 15-3 in UMAC play, earning a share of the regular-season conference title with Bethany Lutheran, who sits at 25-13 and 15-3 in league action. By virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, Bethany Lutheran will serve as the top seed and host for the UMAC Championship. This is the second time in program history that the Yellowjackets have won the regular season title.
Game One Notes
- Bennett opened the scoring with a solo home run down the left-field line in the bottom of the first, her first of two homers in the game.
- Bennett added another solo shot in the third, this time to left center, giving her two home runs and two RBIs on the day. She finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.
- Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) gave the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead in the fifth with an RBI single to right center, scoring Bennett after a walk and a sacrifice bunt from Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko).
- Bethany Lutheran tied the game in the top of the fifth on an unearned run following an error in left field.
- The Vikings took the lead in the sixth when Kaija Mork singled and later scored on a double by Aliya Kehler. Emily Meyer followed with an RBI single to center.
- Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) started for UW-Superior and went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out two.
- Mitchell took the loss in relief, allowing one earned run on three hits over two innings with two strikeouts.
- The Yellowjackets committed two errors in the game, each contributing to Bethany Lutheran's scoring innings.
Game Two Notes
- UW-Superior scored in three consecutive innings, posting four runs in the second, five in the third, and four more in the fourth.
- Hanson hit a deep three-run home run in the second inning to give the Yellowjackets a 4-0 lead.
- MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) followed with a two-run homer in the third as part of a five-run frame.
- Mackenzie Bird (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie) delivered the final blow with a three-run home run in the fourth inning.
- Mitchell earned the win with four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. Mitchell also contributed at the plate with an RBI single to tally her first collegiate hit and two runs scored.
- Swartz closed the game with a scoreless fifth, retiring all three batters she faced.
- The Yellowjackets totaled 13 hits, with six going for extra bases, including three home runs and two doubles.
- UW-Superior had 12 RBIs from six different players and went 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
- Baylee O'Donnell (Mendota Hights, Minn./Richfield) went 2-for-3 and scored twice while Norah Schmitz (Carver County, Minn./Waconia) added a double and an RBI single.
- Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano) reached base twice and scored two runs, also stealing two bases.
- Bethany Lutheran was held to one hit, a leadoff single in the first, and struck out six times in the loss.
UW-Superior will open the UMAC Championship on Thursday, May 8, against third-seeded Northwestern. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Thomas Park in Mankato, Minn., with Bethany Lutheran serving as tournament host.
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