RIPON, WI – The Bay College Norse split a pair of low scoring games with the Ripon Red Hawks on Saturday afternoon. The Norse won the first one by a final of 3-1 before dropping the finale 6-1.
It would be the top of the third before either team would break through on the scoreboard. Back-to-back doubles from Hector Araguayan (SO, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela) and Dante Sartorelli (SO, Menominee, MI) gave Bay a 1-0 lead.
A lead off single from Carlos Velarde (FR, Panama City, Panama) and a walk from Drake Forrest (SO, Gladstone, MI) set up the next scoring opportunity for the Norse in the fourth. Dylan Kregelka (FR, Seffner, FL) lined a two-strike pitch into left for a double, scoring both runners. Bay left two runners on in the inning however, and held a three-run lead.
Norse starter Nick Goebert (SO, Werl, Germany) was strong however. In six innings of work he gave up just five hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Ripon got their lone run in the bottom of the sixth on a two out wild pitch. The run was unearned.
Grant Craft (SO, Canberra, Australia) worked around a walk in the seventh to earn the save.
Sartorelli and Velarde each collected a pair of hits in the contest.
The Norse collected just four hits in the second game and fell behind late. They scored their lone run in the top of the first as Dalton Graham (SO, Sault Ste. Marie, MI) doubled to center.
Ripon tied in the bottom half and took the lead in the second as they scored lone runs in each frame. A pair of Norse errors in the fifth aided the home team in scoring four runs and putting the game out of reach.
Matt Bush (SO, Sault Ste. Marie, MI) took the loss for Bay. In five innings of work he gave up seven hits, five runs, three earned, three walks and struck out four. Drake Forrest worked an inning in relief.
Bay took on Milwaukee Area Tech on Sunday, dropping a pair by finals of 9-1 and 19-8.
The Norse look forward to regional play on Friday and Saturday. The four-game series will take place at Dakota County Technical College. The first three games of the series count towards the best of seven format to determine the east sub-region representative in the Region 13 Tournament. The series concludes on May 6 and 7 in Escanaba.