The final day of a team's spring trip is always the toughest. Perhaps it is the anticipation of the long trip back home and having to resume life as a college student after a week away. Maybe it is the byproduct of cramming so many games into a very small timeframe and players just get tired. It could also be a combination of many factors that makes the final game of the trip a difficult one.

No matter the reasons, for the Yellowjacket baseball team Sunday's game against California Lutheran was without a doubt their season's low-point, as the No. 13-ranked Kingsmen erupted for 20 runs and 24 hits en route to a 20-5 win in Tucson, Ariz.

Despite the loss, the first week of the season was a good one for the Yellowjackets, as they went 8-3 and will now hope the weather in the north cooperates, allowing them to get the remainder of their schedule played.

On Sunday California Lutheran scored early and often to put the game out of reach. The Kingsmen scored four times in the first inning, three times in the second inning and five times in the third to send Yellowjacket starter Jake Lewis (Proctor, Minn./Proctor) to the showers and forcing Head Coach Nick Bursik to dig deep into his bullpen.

The Yellowjackets, down seven, scored three times in the top of the third inning as they tried to claw their way back into the game. After the first two batters were retired, Wyatt Soderquist (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) singled to center field. Tony Remund (Andover, Minn./Coon Rapids) followed with a double to left, scoring Soderquist to get the Yellowjackets on the board. Brady Flaherty (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) came up next and singled, scoring Remund to make it 7-2. The Yellowjackets trimmed the deficit to four runs when Flaherty came around to score on a single from Tom Fairbanks (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd).

California Lutheran continued to pour on the offense and moved in front 15-3 when the Yellowjackets scored a run in the top of the seventh. With one out in the inning Connor McLeod (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes) walked, and following a ground out and wild pitch moved to third. He came in to score when Remund reached on an error.

The Kingsmen added their final runs in the seventh and eighth innings, and the Yellowjackets scored one last run in the top of the ninth, as Soderquist singled and scored on Remund's double to make the final score 20-5.

The Yellowjackets had 10 hits in the game, led by Soderquist who went 4-for-5 on the day. He also scored twice. Remund, Fairbanks, and Flaherty had the other hits in the game, each finishing with two apiece.

Lewis was tagged with the loss in the game, dropping his record to 1-1 on the year. He gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in just over two innings. He walked three and struck out two. Christian Hall (Siren, Wis./Siren), Seth Wage (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West), and Riley Grandson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) also pitched in the game.

Next up for the Yellowjackets is a doubleheader against Bethel University in Minnetonka, Minn. on Wednesday, March 26. The games are scheduled to being at 10:00 a.m.