The MCAC Southern Division Champion RCTC Yellowjacket baseball team won 3 of 4 in their final regular season series over the weekend. The Jackets split at home against MN West on Friday, winning 4-1 before falling 7-1. The Jackets then swept the final double-header at MN West 4-0 and 7-6 in 8 innings. RCTC is now 27-14 overall and 14-2 in the Southern Division.
In game one of the opening double-header at RCTC the Jackets jumped out to an early lead as starting pitcher Rees Campanale homered to left in the bottom of the first to give the Jackets a 2-0 lead. Teagun Ahrens then followed with a solo shot in the 2nd to extend the lead to 3-0. After an unearned run in the 4th for MN West, the Jackets scored on a bases loaded walk for the 4-1 win. Campanale was almost untouchable on the hill as the sophomore went 7 innings allowing only 2 hits and striking out 10 for the complete game win.
Game two saw the Jackets manage only 3 hits against Bluejay starter Tristan Sauerbei in falling 7-1. Campanale had the only RBI on a SAC fly to score Griffin Olson.
On Sunday the Jackets rebounded with a pair of wins at MN West. RCTC got another fantastic pitching performance, this time from a pair of Jackets. Clement Febus went five innings, allowing no runs, 1 hit and striking out 4. Luis Gonzalez earned the save going 2 innings, and allowing only 1 hit as the Jackets won 4-0. Augusto Mungarrieta was 2-4 with a double, a homerun, and an RBI, while Logan O'Hara picked up a pair of RBI's. Teagun Ahrens was 3-4 with a double and a run scored.
In the nightcap, RCTC got some late innings heroics as Rees Campanale singled to score Griffin Olson in the 8th for the win. RCTC got out of the gates early as Griffin Olson scored when Luis Rodriguez stole second and Olson broke for the plate on the throw to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead. Jerry Saintiago Jr. doubled in the 2nd to score 2. The Jackets trailed 5-4 heading into the 6th when Mungarrieta homered with a man aboard to give the Jackets a 6-5 lead. After MN West scored in the 6th, no could plate a run in the seventh leading to Campanale's heroics. Connor Jones went 5 innings, allowing 5 runs on only 6 hits for RCTC. Owen Vargas pitched the 6th and 7th before Griffin Olsongot the win in relief striking out the side in the bottom of the 8th.
The Jackets will next play in the Region Tournament hosted by St. Cloud, May 9th-11th. RCTC is waiting to find out their seed in the tournament, but are anticipating a top 3 seed with a 27-14 overall record and the Southern Division Title under their belts.
