OAK CREEK, WI - The Bay Norse Baseball Team (5-11-1) only collected two hits in the 3-2 game one loss against the Milwaukee Area Technical College Stormers (6-4) before waking up their bats and taking a 14-9 victory in the nightcap.
GAME 1 - MILWAUKEE AREA TECH - 3, BAY COLLEGE 2
The Stormers would take their first lead in the second inning. An error would get things going and Andrew Wilson (SO, Racine, WI) would follow that up with a hard hit double to send the first run to the plate. He would score on a groundout later in the inning, giving MATC a two-run lead.
The Norse would finally get a threat together in the fifth. A leadoff walk would be followed by a perfectly placed bunt single by Tyler Skufca (SO, Escanaba, MI), the first hit of the game for Bay. A sacrifice bunt would move both runners into scoring position, and an intentional walk would load the bases. A strikeout would follow, but Mark Zhang (FR, Canberra, Australia) lined a double to right to send two runners home and tie the game.
A defensive miscue would start the bottom of the fifth off on a bad note for the Norse. After a single would move the go-ahead run to third, Bay starter Logan Bailey (FR, Sault Ste. Marie, MI) would induce an infield pop fly for the first out. A groundball would give Bay a chance to get out of the jam, but it wasn't hit hard enough, and the visitors would have to settle for one out at second as MATC would plate the crucial run.
Bay College would get out of the inning, but could not get any rally formed from there. MATC would get six consecutive outs to end the game, taking their home opener in a close matchup.
Sam Roesler (SO, Jackson, WI) ended up getting the win in relief. He would work two and two thirds innings, give up just one hit, and strike out two. Obed Agosto (FR, Winter Park, FL) collected two hits in two at bats for the Stormers.
Bailey would be tagged with a tough-luck loss, despite a strong outing. He would throw six innings, give up five hits, three runs, one earned, and walk no one while striking out six.
GAME 2 - BAY COLLEGE -14, MILWAUKEE AREA TECH - 9
Bay College would take advantage of some early Stormer mistakes to take the lead off the bat. A leadoff groundball would turn into an error, and after Owen Hanson (FR, Gladstone, MI) stole second, the Stormers would deal out a walk to put more pressure on their defense. A second error would send Hanson home, giving the Norse a lead. With one out, Lucas Weinert (FR, Gladstone, MI) lined a double to center, driving home a run. Skufca came through with a two-out single later in the inning, and Bay would hold a three-run lead.
Bay would leave the bases loaded in the second, missing out on a great scoring opportunity. A leadoff double by Ben Schwalbach (SO, Gladstone, MI) set the Norse up in the third. After two walks and two groundballs, the Norse were left with the bases loaded and two outs, and the possibility of missing out on another scoring opportunity. Oliver Dunn (FR, Melbourne, Australia) sent a double to right center field that would clear the bases. Zhang and Flynn Morrison (FR, Melbourne, Australia) continued the rally with back-to-back singles, plating two more runs, and Bay would seemingly be in control with an eight run lead.
An error and a single would set up Wilson for the first Stormer RBI of the game, a liner to left in the bottom of the third. A bases loaded walk sent another run to the plate, and Bryan Javier (SO, Dominican Republic) followed that up with a two RBI single, and the home team would cut the Norse lead in half.
A hit batsman and three consecutive walks got the Norse offense started in the fourth. Hanson and Zhang singled in runs, and Morrison doubled to center to bring in two more. The Norse once again looked to be comfortably in control with a 14-4 lead.
Neither team would put up much of a threat in their next two at bats. Milwaukee Area Tech finally answered in the bottom of the fifth. Javier sent a long double to right, driving in a run, and Jacob Schmeling (FR, Menomonee Falls, WI) hit a liner to center to plate another run. A balk forced in a run, and Antonieyo City (FR, Las Vegas, NV) singled in two more, once again cutting the Bay lead in half.
The Norse would get more action going in the sixth, sending another run to the plate. The game would be cut short however, as a drastic drop in temperatures sent the overall wind chill below the freezing mark. As the fifth inning was the last completed inning, the scoring a statistics revert back to there, making the final 14-9 in favor of the Norse.
Morrison would lead Bay with two hits in three at bats, four RBI, and a double. Zhang was two for three with two runs scored, and two RBI, while Hanson would also collect two hits in three at bats, scoring three times, and driving in one. Dunn would drive in three, and score three times as well.
Ty Ziegler (FR, Hortonville, WI) worked four and one third for the win, giving up eight hits, nine runs, eight earned, walking two, and hitting two batters, while striking out four. Dane VanDenHeuvel (FR, Norway, MI) came on in relief to get the final two outs.
Javier led the Stormers with a three for three performance that included that double, three RBI, and one run scored. Starter Brandon LaRue (FR, Crivitz, WI) was credited with the loss, working just one and two thirds innings and giving up three unearned runs.
Bay will be in the Milwaukee area again on their next road trip. On Friday they will face Carroll University's JV team. On Saturday and Sunday they will play doubleheaders against Bryant and Stratton College. Game times for all three days have yet to be determined.