RIVER GROVE, IL – The Norse Baseball Team (2-10) returned to action and dropped a pair of games to the Triton College Trojans (6-6). After losing 16-6 in the first game, the Norse fought back to tie the second game late only to see the Trojans end it with a walk-off base hit.
The Norse pitching staff struggled early, giving up six walks and hitting two batters in the first two innings of game one. The end result was a 12-0 hole heading into the third.
After the Trojans tacked on a run in the fourth, the Norse offense finally found a spark. Drake Forrest (FR, Gladstone, MI) got the rally started with a one out double. Hector Araguayan (FR, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela) drove in two with a double of his own two batters later. Tanner Halvorson (SO, Eau Claire, WI) followed an error with a double to deep center, bringing two more runs to the plate. After a David Ibn Ezra (SO, Tel Aviv, Israel) single, Grant Craft (FR, Canberra, Australia) drove in a run with a strong plate appearance. After fighting off multiple pitches with two strikes, he put the ball in play to the right side of the infield to score the run. Jose Pichardo (FR, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) rounded out the scoring, hitting a ball through the left side of the infield to drive in Ibn Ezra.
The sixth run fifth proved to be too little, too late for the Norse. The Trojans took advantage of a walk and an error to score three in the bottom half, ending the game.
Conrad Tauer (FR, Lemont, IL) earned the win on the mound, going four and a third and giving up five runs, three earned, on four hits and five walks while striking out three.
Nick Goebert (SO, Werl, Germany) ended up with the lost, lasting just one and one third inning.
Jack Ferraro (SO, LaGrange, IL) led the Trojans with a three for three effort, driving in three runs, scoring twice, and stole two bases.
Halvorson collected a pair of doubles in three at bats for the Norse, driving in two and scoring once.
The Norse were forced to play from behind in the second game as well, as they committed two errors in the first inning to spot their hosts a run.
The Trojans added to the lead in the fourth with a line drive to left that from Brett Morrison (FR, Pataskala, OH) that scored two. Morrison was thrown out trying to advance to second, but the damage had been done.
Triton added an insurance run in the fifth. Matt Flaherty (FR, Lake Zurich, IL) doubled into left with two outs, making the game 4-0 in favor of the Trojans.
The Norse put together a threat in the top of the sixth. Alex Morehouse (SO, Sugar Island, MI) drew a walk to lead off the inning, and Abel Rodriguez (FR, Los Fresnos, TX) followed that with a single to center. A couple of hard-hit balls followed, but proved fruitless as they were driven right at fielders, putting the Norse in jeopardy of not takin advantage of the leadoff baserunners. Halvorson came through in the clutch situation however, finding a hole with a pop fly to center bringing in a pair of runs. Bay was unable to take advantage of an error and an infield single by Dalton Graham (FR, Sault Ste. Marie, MI), and left the bases loaded.
Bay went into the last inning down a pair, and the Trojans got two quick outs to start the inning. Rodriguez singled to start a rally, and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Halvorson came through again, hitting a ball through the right side. Rodriguez scored easily and the Norse tied the game when the throw home was not handled, allowing Ian Schwalbach (FR, Gladstone, MI) to slide in safely. Ibn Ezra drew a walk in the next at bat, loading the bases once again for the Norse, but the Trojans escaped the inning with the score tied.
They wasted no time regaining the lead. Michael Kocen (FR, Gurnee, IL) doubled to left. Joe Selby (FR, Romeoville, IL) then hit a line drive to center, which fell just in front of the diving attempt by Ibn Ezra, and trickled away far enough for Kocen to score from second, ending the game in dramatic fashion.
Julio Cajigas (FR, Romeoville, IL) pitched the last third of the inning in the seventh to get the win on the mound for the Trojans.
For the Norse, Jack Bower (SO, Bark River, MI) went the distance, and pitched well despite being tagged with the loss. He scattered ten hits, and gave up five hits, four of which were earned, and struck out four while walking no one.
Rodriguez ended up three for four in the game and scored two runs. Halvorson collected his two hits in three at bats and drove in four runs.
The Norse finish up a four game set with Triton on Saturday. First pitch for game one is 1 pm.