Box Score Davenport, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened its 2023 season with a 8-7 loss to UW-Superior Monday afternoon at NE Regional Park. The Yellowjackets improve to 3-1 on the season with the win.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Chris VandenHeuvel doubled with one out and scored on Mac Born's two-run single. UW-Superior got on the scoreboard with the three runs in the top of the second and added two more in the third for a 5-1 lead. Tanner Voigh walked to start off the top of the second and after a pair of Yellowjackets' strikeouts, Sam McNosky's doubled score knock in Voigh to tie the game at 1-1. Nick Fredrik followed with a RBI single to give UW-Superior a 2-1 lead. After Fredrik stole second, Noah Dagosti singled to score Fredrik. 

In the top of the third, Voigh's RBI groundout made it 4-1 and Brian O'Dwye singled to knock in a run to to give the Yellowjackets a 5-1 lead. 

UWL cut the lead to 5-4 with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jordan Williams reached on an error with one out. VandenHeuvel followed with a two-run home run to cut it to 5-3. Jack Olver then doubled and Born singled to score Olver to make it a one-run game.

The Yellowjackets responded with three runs in the top of the ninth. McNosky doubled to score Trey Sybrant for a 6-4 lead. UW-Superior added two more runs on a pair of UWL errors to take a 8-4 lead.

UWL rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Jack Moran singled with one and went to second after Williams was hit-by-pitch. VandenHeuvel followed with a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 8-7, but UW-Superior got the final two outs to secure the win.

UWL finished with 10 hits in the game as VandenHeuvel went 3-for-5 with three runs, two home runs and five RBI. Born went 2-for-5 with two RBI while Moran finished 2-for-4 with a run. Williams scored twice. 

Mitchel Fassbender (0-1) suffered the loss, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing four hits, four runs and two walks with four strikeouts. Sawyer Phillips went 6.0 innings, allowing three hits and one run with three strikeouts. 

UW-Superior totaled nine hits with Sybrant and McNosky each finishing 2-for-4 with two runs. Matt Tappe earned the win for the Yellowjackets, going 7.1 innings, allowing eight hits, four runs (two earned) and two walks with nine strikeouts. Ben Welle picked up the save, pitching 0.2 of an inning. 

UWL returns to action Tuesday, March 14 facing the University of Southern Maine at 3:30 p.m. (Central) in Auburndale, Florida. The Eagles will also play a junior varsity game against Dickinson College (Pa.) at 6:30 p.m.