MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Norse Baseball Team (1-1) opened the season with a 12-3 victory over the Scotland Campus Knights before falling in extra innings to the Cleveland Community College Yetis (5-4) by a final score of 8-2.
The Knights took an early lead, taking advantage of two first inning walks with a double to plate them both.
The Norse answered back in the bottom half. After a leadoff walk and a hit by pitch, Carson Shea (SO, Gladstone, MI) tripled to tie the game. The Norse scored four more times in the inning, with each one of those runners crossing the plate on wild pitches.
The Norse continued to take advantage of the situation as they were issued nine bases on balls. The Knights also committed five errors in the contest, leading the Norse to a big scoring output in their first game of the season.
Nick Goebert (SO, Werl, Germany) earned the win on the mound, going five innings and striking out eight while giving up three earned runs on six hits. Dan Harrington (SO, Iron Mountain, MI) pitched the final two innings, striking out four and giving up just one hit.
Shea finished the game two for three with two RBI and three runs scored. David Ibn Ezra (SO, Tel Aviv, Israel) ended up with two RBI in a one for two effort.
The Norse struck first in the second game. Abel Rodriguez (FR, Los Fresnos, TX) led off with a first-pitch single to center. He scored on a double by Shea.
Bay avoided trouble in the top of the third. Logan Brock (Leonardtown, MD) tripled to center to lead off the inning. He would be cut down at the plate later in the inning, when a safety squeeze bunt went right back to the mound. Bay's starting pitcher Tanner Halvorson (SO, Eau Claire, WI) gloved and flipped cleanly to the plate, retiring the runner in plenty of time.
The Norse doubled their lead in the bottom half. Once again it was Shea with the hit, a two-out single. Bay looked to be in control as Halvorson was in control.
The Yetis would finally get to him in the sixth. With two outs they drew walks on consecutive batters, setting the stage for Mike Huber (Pleasant Hills, PA) to come through with a pinch hit double to tie the game.
The game remained tied at two when the Norse missed on a big opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. They would load the bases with one out, but Cleveland Community College induced two ground balls to get out of the jam.
The Yetis used the momentum to take the lead in the eighth. They took advantage of four walks, a hit by pitch, an error, a wild pitch, and two passed balls plated six runs, allowing Cleveland to escape with the win.
The Cleveland CC starter Graham Brown (Harrisburg, NC) struck out nine in five innings of work. Bailey McGinnis (Rutherfordton, NC) earned the win in relief.
Halvorson went seven innings in a gutty performance, striking out 15 and giving up just four hits. Alex Morehouse (SO, Sugar Island, MI).
Shea and Ibn Ezra each finished with two-hit games, while Shea drove in two runs.
The Norse continue the week in Myrtle Beach Sunday morning with a rematch against Scotland Campus Sports. The first pitch for that game is scheduled for 10 am. They then face Camp Community College at 1 pm.