FORT PIERCE, FL – The Bay College Norse Baseball Team (1-1) opened their season by rebounding from a 16-7 loss to the University of Northwestern (MN) to get their first win of the year against Washington College by a final score of 15-7.
In the season opener an eight run first meant the Norse were playing from behind the whole game. After a leadoff walk, a hit by pitch, and a single, the scoring for the day started off in an odd way. What looked to be a routine out turned into a fielder's choice and a run when the Norse catcher did not touch the plate on a force out. After a sac fly scored a second run, four more hits, along with two walks, and another hit by pitch in the inning put the Eagles in a commanding lead.
Bay fought back, however. In the bottom of the first the Norse got leadoff singles from Carson Shea (FR, Gladstone, MI) and Lucas Weinert (SO, Gladstone, MI). Shea scored on a double play groundball, but the Norse would get clutch hits from Kyler Moir (SO, Hillman, MI) who doubled in a run, and by Jared Crow (FR, Gladstone, MI) who drove in two with a single.
The Norse added one in the second, but gave up runs in the third and the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth they ended up with runners on second and third with no one out. A groundball out up the middle and a sacrifice fly by Weinert plated both runs, cutting the lead to 10-7.
The Eagle bats put the game away in the top of the ninth, however. They slugged out five hits, drew two walks, and took advantage of a leadoff error to send in six runs. Northwestern would end the game with a 16-7 win.
Ramberg got the win on the mound for the Eagles, giving up five runs, but just one of them was earned. Northwestern used seven different pitchers in the contest.
For the Norse it was Nicolas Goebert (FR, Werl, Germany) taking the loss on the mound. He gave up nine earned runs on seven hits and four walks in three innings of work. Bay got five innings of one-hit ball from Scotty Adams (FR, Orillia, ON) who came on in relief.
Alex Morehouse (SO, Sugar Island, MI) went two for two with two walks. Weinert, Tanner Halvorson (SO, Eau Claire, WI), Ben Snyder (SO, Powers, MI), and Moir each collected two hits, with Weinert, Halvorson, and Moir slugging a double.
In game two the Norse jumped out to an early lead. In the top of the first Crow drew a bases loaded walk and Dane VanDenHeuvel (SO, Norway, MI) ripped a two-out single into right to bring in two more runs. They added to it in the second when David Ibn Ezra (FR, Tel Aviv, Israel) singled in Jeff Allen (SO, Watervliet, MI) who led off the inning with a walk.
Snyder, who started on the mound for the Norse, ran into some trouble in the third when walked the lead off batter. A double later in the inning would bring that runner home, and a bases loaded walk plated a second run, but the Norse would get out of trouble giving up just two runs.
Bays offense responded in the fourth as Halvorson ripped a triple to right to drive in two runs. He later scored on a Crow sacrifice fly. In the sixth the Norse created some chaos as they plated four runs with just one hit. They drew four walks in the inning, but were able to use aggressive baserunning to open up the game. They scored on a ground out, a throwing error from a stolen base, a wild pitch, and a passed ball. Two bases loaded walks and a two RBI Halvorson double rounded out the scoring in the eighth as the Norse went on to their first win of the season.
Snyder earned the win on the mound giving up four runs, three of them earned, on five hits, five walks, with five strike outs in five innings of work. Moir earned a save by pitching the final three innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits, one walk, while striking out four. The game was ended after the eighth inning due to time constraints.
Halvorson finished with a three for five day with four RBI.
The Norse will travel to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, FL for a 10 am matchup with Alice Lloyd College on Sunday morning.