ROSEMOUNT, MN - The Norse Baseball Team (10-16-1) dropped a pair of games to in-region opponent Dakota County Technical College (23-13). The Blue Knights took a 6-0 decision and a 10-6 win at home.
GAME 1 - DAKOTA COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE - 6, BAY COLLEGE - 0
Alex Winslow (SO, Ham Lake, MN) baffled the Bay bats all game long, pitching a complete game shutout. He would strike out 13 and give up just four hits and two walks.
Dakota County would put the game out of reach in the third. After a leadoff walk, three consecutive doubles and a single brought five runs to the plate. The home team would hold a 6-0 lead after three.
Bay would leave seven runners on in the matchup, including stranding two in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Bradley Goulet (SO, Cottage Grove, MN), Parker Savard (FR, Sudbury, ON), and Trent Fredenberg (FR, Coon Rapids, MN) each collected two hits for the Blue Knights.
Tyler Skufca (SO, Escanaba, MI) took the loss on the mound, giving up five earned runs and striking out five in seven innings of work.
GAME 2 - DAKOTA COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE - 10, BAY COLLEGE - 6
Bay College would bat around in the first to claim a lead for the first time in the day. A one-out walk and a double by Mark Zhang (FR, Canberra, Australia) put runners on second and third. An error would plate the first run, followed by a hit by pitch. Kyler Moir (FR, Hillman, MI) doubled to bring in two more, and the Norse would grab a 4-0 lead in the early going.
Dakota County was able to cut into that lead in the first. Goulet led off with a double and scored on Ian Walker's (SO, Forest Lake, MN) one out double. The Blue Knights stranded the runner, but would keep the pressure on in the second. Three Norse errors would aid the home team as they would get an RBI single from Savard, and a two RBI triple from Walker. Errors continued to plague the Norse in the third, as two more would help Dakota County score twice giving the Blue Knights an 8-4 lead after three innings of play.
In the top of the fourth Bay would cut that lead down. Just Popleka (SO, Escanaba, MI singled with one out, and would later score on an error, but the Norse would leave two on in the inning. Moir led off the sixth with a single, and an error would give Bay two on with no one out, down by three runs. A sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position. A groundout would plate one, but a strike out ended the inning with a runner left standing on third.
The Blue Knights added two in the bottom of the sixth. After a controversial call extended the at bat, Goulet tripled to lead off the inning. Savard followed that with a double, and scored on a sacrifice fly, giving Dakota County a 10-6 lead. The Norse would go quietly in the seventh, giving DCTC two important in-region wins.
Moir ended the game two for three with a double and two RBI. Logan Bailey (FR, Sault Ste. Marie, MI) took the loss for the Norse, pitching a complete game. He gave up four earned runs and nine hits, while striking out four and walking no one.
The Norse now find themselves in a 2-0 hole in the series to determine the NJCAA Region XIII participant from the eastern portion of the region. The two teams are playing a best of seven series, with game three being the first game of tomorrow's doubleheader, scheduled at 1 pm. The remainder of the series will take place in Escanaba, MI on May 3 and 4.