Yellowjackets report: UWS opens Florida trip on five-game win streak

Wisconsin-Superior softball opened its Florida trip with five consecutive wins and ended it with three consecutive wins.

The Yellowjackets were scheduled to play 10 games at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Naples, Florida from Saturday, March 11, until Thursday, March 16. UWS went 8-2 for the trip.

UWS scored seven runs or more in each of its first five wins, over MCLA, St. Joseph's Brooklyn (twice), Westfield State and Nazareth.

Saturday, March 11, Tayler Kraemer went 4-for-4 vs. MCLA in an 8-6 victory where UWS trailed 2-0 going to the bottom of the fifth. Zoe Thomson and Ellie Macal had three hits apiece as the Yellowjackets swept the day with their 7-1 win over St. Joseph's.

On Sunday, March 12, against Westfield State, UWS scored four in the first inning en route to a 7-0 win while Kraemer pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout. The Yellowjackets needed only five innings to finish off St. Joseph's a second time (10-2) as four players had two hits apiece.

UWS made it five wins Monday, March 13, in a 17-11 slugfest against Nazareth. Larissa Snyder and Thomson went 3-for-5 for UWS, with Thomson driving in three runs. Tiffany Kirk had four RBIs. The winning streak ended when NYU scored two runs in the top of the seventh for a 3-1 win, holding UWS to four singles.

UWS dropped a 3-1 decision Wednesday, March 15 to William Paterson, getting held to three hits. They broke out of their mini-slump with a 6-5 walk-off win over Wilmington, as Thomson singled in Kramer with the winning run. Kraemer had a 3-for-4 game and Kirk had four of UWS's six RBIs.

On Thursday, March 16, UWS defeated Rutgers-Newark 7-6 as Macal scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, reaching base on an error and scoring on an error, both by the pitcher. In the last game of the trip, UWS beat Saint Elizabeth 6-1. Thomson went 3-for-4 and Jenna Hoops drove in two runs.

The Yellowjackets (10-4) kick off their home season with a home doubleheader vs. Wisconsin-River Falls on April 1.

Wisconsin-Superior has gained a lot of practice in close games already this season, as their nine games in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational included five one-run games and two extra-inning wins.

The Yellowjackets started their trip with a doubleheader split Sunday against Beloit. UWS won the first game 3-2 in eight innings with Isaac Fugere's sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth the different. Noah Dagostino had all three of UWS's hits. UWS lost the second game 8-4.

Monday, UWS pulled out an 8-7 win over Wisconsin-La Crosse. Trey Sybrant and Sam McNosky had two hits apiece in the win, which came the hard way. After UWL got a three-run homer to close within one in the bottom of the ninth, Ben Welle came in to get the last two outs for the save.

The Yellowjackets split with SUNY Cobleskill Tuesday, winning the first game 8-6 in eight innings before losing game two 7-3. Max Howell's two-run homer decided the opener for UWS. Sybrant was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Fugere also homered. Sybrant was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the game two loss.

Thursday, UWS lost a marathon 6-5 to Greenville on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 11th inning. Christian Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double.

Friday, Simpson grabbed a pair of close seven-inning victories, 5-4 and 3-2. Garcia was 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the opener and Dagostino went 2-for-4 in game two.

The trip ended with a 7-4 loss to Wisconsin-Eau Claire as UWS could not overcome a four-run first inning from the Blugolds.

The Yellowjackets' home opener is March 28 vs. Northland at NBC Spartan Sports Complex.

This story was updated at 7:50 p.m. on March 18 with updated results from the remainder of the trip. It was originally posted at 9 a.m. on March 16.