The Yellowjacket baseball team made another long journey to the southern part of Wisconsin on Saturday, opening a four-game series with a doubleheader at UW-Platteville.
Game 1
Yellowjackets 4, Platteville 3
Box Score
The Yellowjackets were able to snap a four-game losing skid with a one-run win in the opener.
In the top of the second inning Jeff Miller (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) singled and moved to second on an error. With two outs in the inning, Tyler Duex (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls) drove a single to right field, scoring Miller to give the Yellowjackets the 1-0 lead.
An inning later the Yellowjackets blew things open. Wyatt Soderquist (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Moments later he scored on an RBI double from TJ Evanson (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) to make it 2-0. Two hitters later Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) plated Evanson when he tripled to right field. Fairbanks then scored on an error and the Yellowjackets were up 3-0 after three innings.
From there, starter Dan Genrich (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) held the Pioneers at bay, not giving them anything until the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth, an error to open the inning game Platteville life. The error and a pair of walks loaded the bases and a pair of ground outs produced two runs, making it 4-2. A lack of control reared its ugly head in the bottom of the eighth, as a pair of walks and a hit batsman brought home another run for the Pioneers, making it a one-run game.
Cody Johnson (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) restored order, pitching a perfect ninth inning to close out the victory and earn his first save of the season.
Genrich pitched seven innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits. He struck out five but also walked six.
On offense, Evanson and Miller had two hits apiece, to lead the Yellowjacket offense that pounded out nine hits on the day.
Casey Schroeder led the way for Platteville, picking up two of the Pioneers' three hits in the game.
Game 2
Platteville 8, Yellowjackets 0
Box Score
Platteville turned the tables on the Yellowjackets in the second game, piling on the runs early and cruising to the win.
As has been the case a few times this season, the opposition got to Yellowjacket starter Travis Elwood (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) early.
In the bottom of the first a pair of walks and a wild pitch put runners in scoring position. Zach Demmon followed with a single to get the scoring started. Before the inning was done Evan Greco and Jon Lewerke added RBI singles and it was 3-0 Pioneers after one.
The first two hitters reached base in the bottom of the third, setting the tone for the biggest inning of the day for either team. Bobby Bean scored on an error to make it 4-0. Later in the inning George Jester struck the big blow, driving a double to right field, scoring two to make it an 8-0 day. The hit also spelled the end of the day for Elwood, who gave way to Graham Miller (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland) on the mound.
Miller came in shut down the Pioneers, pitching five-and-a-third scoreless innings, giving up just two hits in the process, but it was too little, too late for the Yellowjackets.
In the top of the third inning, they were able to put two runners into scoring position but couldn't plate a run. They had two runners on again in the fifth and pushed Brady Flaherty (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) to third base, but again could not score a run.
All told, the Yellowjackets had five hits in the game - one each for Fairbanks, Soderquist, Flaherty, Duex and Sam Holden (Spooner, Wis./Spooner).
Elwood pitched the first two-and-two-third innings, giving up eight runs (five earned) on eight hits. He walked five and struck out two before handing the ball off to Miller.
Jester, Greco and Lewerke all had two hits each for Platteville, who got seven shutout innings Mike Boushley. Boushley picked up the win, improving to 2-2 on the year. He allowed four hits and walked one while striking out seven in the game.
The Yellowjackets (8-13, 1-5 WIAC) and the Pioneers are scheduled to play their second doubleheader of the weekend in Platteville on Sunday, April 14. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Should inclement weather hit the area, the doubleheader will be pushed to Monday, April 15.