St. Bonifacius, Minn. – The Polars baseball team opened its final conference series of the season on Friday afternoon, falling 16-5 to the University of Wisconsin-Superior at Missile Park.
Cole Vahovick got the start for the Polars and delivered a scoreless first inning, but Superior broke through with three runs in the second and two more in the third to take an early 5-0 lead.
The Polars answered in the bottom of the third when Keegan Eastman reached base and later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 5-1. Both teams posted big innings in the fourth, as the Yellowjackets plated three runs before TJ Rielly responded with a two-run home run to left field, scoring Bryan Gerbers.
Superior extended its lead with two runs in the fifth, but the Polars capitalized on defensive miscues in the bottom half of the inning. Blayke Reyburn scored on an error, and Gerbers crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 10-5 after five innings.
The Yellowjackets pulled away late, scoring the final six runs of the game, including a four-run eighth inning, to secure the 16-5 win.
Rielly and Reyburn each recorded two hits on the day, with Rielly adding a home run and Reyburn scoring once. Caden Esquerra, Gerbers, and Eastman also contributed hits in the loss.
The Polars will continue the series at home against the Yellowjackets on Saturday. The day will feature Senior Day festivities, followed by a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Missile Park.
