ST. PETER, MN – The Bay Norse (1-16) dropped a pair of games to the Century College Wood Ducks (7-11) on Friday on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College. In the first game the Norse came from behind and tied the game up late, only to see the Wood Ducks get a two-out, walk off single to win 5-4. In the afternoon matchup Century pulled away late, claiming a 10-2 victory.
The morning game proved to be a thriller, as the two teams went back and forth. Century broke a scoreless tie in the third with a two-out single, but Bay responded quickly. Three consecutive singles by Dante Sortorelli (SO, Menominee, MI), Dalton Graham (SO, Sault Ste. Marie, MI), and Xavier Whittle (FR, Oakville, ON) tied the game at one. A sacrifice fly from Grant Craft (SO, Canberra, Australia) gave the Norse the lead for the first time of the day.
The Wood Ducks took the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs Noah Dursch (FR, Farmington, MN) lined a triple to center, bringing two runs to the plate. Century added a run in the sixth, taking a two-run lead into the seventh.
Bay responded quickly in the seventh. After a leadoff walk, Hector Araguayan (SO, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela) drove a fly ball to left that cleared the fence for a two-run home run, tying the game at four. The Norse failed to take the lead as they left two on in the frame.
The momentum swung quickly to the Wood Ducks in the bottom half as they quickly loaded the bases with no one out. The suspense grew in the inning as relief pitcher Riley McElfresh (SO, Cable, WI) got an infield popup and a strike out, putting the two teams one out away from extras. Century's Chris Jacobs (FR, Plymouth, MN) found a hole as he grounded an 0-2 delivery up the middle and through, driving in the winning run.
Nick Goebert (SO, Werl, Germany) got the start and pitched well. He went five and one third, giving up seven hits, four runs, and three walks while striking out eight. McElfresh took the loss, working one and one third in relief, surrendering the one run on two hits, a walk, a hit batsman while striking out two.
Araguayan and Whittle each went two for four in the game. Araguayan also was credited with a double to go with his double.
Century took advantage of a rocky second inning for Bay to claim a lead they would not surrender. The first five batters of the inning reached safely and four runs crossed the plate for the Wood Ducks. Two hit batters, a walk, and an error plagued the Norse in that stretch as Century collected just two hits in the frame.
Bay responded in the top of the third. Sartorelli laced a double to the right-center gap to drive in a run. He scored on Graham's two-strike groundout to second, cutting the Wood Duck lead in half.
The Norse were shut down from there, and a three-run homerun from Jacobs in the fifth broke the game open. A sloppy bottom of the sixth for the Norse defense gave Century more then enough runs to take a 10-2 victory.
Matt Bush took the loss on the mound for Bay, and was chased after just three and a third.
The Norse continue the second half of the four-game series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus.