MUSKEGON, MI – The Norse Baseball Team (10-6, 3-1 MCCAA) kicked off conference play with a trip to Muskegon Community College (2-11, 1-3). The two teams split the doubleheader on Thursday afternoon before the Norse won the final two to take the season series three games to one.
In game one sloppy defense on both sides created a back-and-forth affair. A close game looked to be out of the reach of the visiting Norse as the Jayhawks put together three consecutive two-out singles to add three insurance runs, making the score 9-5 heading into the sixth inning.
The Norse responded in the sixth. Melchor Feliciano (SO, Deerfield Beach, FL) hit a booming double to left center that drove in Jace Cota (SO, Chippewa Falls, WI) who had singled earlier in the inning. Blake Julian (SO, Iron Mountain, MI) cut the lead to two with a double to right. He ended up scoring off of a two-out single from Andres Franco (FR, Orenjestad, Aruba). Bay wound up leaving the tying and go-ahead runs in the inning and had to settle for being down 9-8.
After getting Muskegon in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Norse found a patient approach to get a rally going in the last frame. Three of the first four batters walked to load the bases with one out. Julian promptly unloaded them, driving the ball over the leftfielder's head for a double, driving in all three runs.
The Norse handed the ball to Franco for the bottom half of the inning, and he was flawless, striking out two to earn his first save of the season.
Jake Sager (SO, Oconto Falls, WI) picked up the win in relief, pitching a scoreless one and one-third inning.
Julian led the charge, going three for five with four RBI and three runs scored. Zach Gibson (FR, Nassau, Bahamas) added three RBI on three hits in four at bats, including a double. Franco also had three hits in five at bats. He scored twice, drove in two, and also had a double.
Game two turned into a pitcher's duel as both offenses struggled to find answers to some strong performances.
Bay's Thijs Rijpstra (FR, Dongen, Netherlands) did not get help from his defense early on. An error in the first with two outs came around to score on the ensuing hit. In the second an error extended the inning and allowed the Jayhawks to score on a fielder's choice.
Meanwhile Muskegon's Christian Hoffman (SO, Ft. Wayne, IN) danced out of trouble in the second, as the Norse would fail to score with the bases loaded and one out. Bay found a way to get to him in the third. An error and a single started the inning, and Franco followed that up with an RBI single to get the Norse on the board. Gibson doubled to tie the score, but some baserunning gaffes cost the Norse a chance to take the lead, as they would only get two in what looked to be a big inning.
Rijpstra found himself in trouble in the bottom half, as a single and a walk had the Jayhawks threatening. Dayton Thomas (FR, Muskegon, MI) made him pay with an RBI single, giving Muskegon a 3-2 lead.
The Norse were stymied for the rest of the matchup. They had just one real threat in the sixth but stranded two as they let the game slip through their hands and lost by a run.
Hoffman went the distance giving up seven hits, two runs, one earned, and three walks while striking out three.
Rijpstra pitched six innings giving up five hits, three runs, one earned, and one walk while striking out eight. He would get the tough-luck loss. Scott Hiller (SO, Escanaba, MI) pitched a scoreless sixth, striking out one.
Franco and Gibson ended up with two hits apiece, and each had an RBI.
The Norse took the early advantage in Friday's early game. An eight-run second inning put the Jayhawks in too deep a hole to dig out of. Bay got RBI singles from Gomersall (2), Brandon Watts (SO, Valrico, FL), Franco, and Aedan Creten (FR, Gladstone, MI) in the frame. The Norse added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Creten drilled a two-out double to right field, making the score 10-0.
Meanwhile the Norse got a lights out performance from Lorenzo Feliciano (FR, Deerfield Beach, FL). He got a complete game in a run shortened five inning affair, giving up just thee hits and two walks while striking out four.
Gomersall and Cretens picked up multi-hit efforts for Bay.
In the nightcap the Jayhawks got on the board first. Brandon Butkus (SO, Allendale, MI) drilled a two-run homerun to left field. He helped add to the Jayhawk lead in the third after a two out error when he doubled to plate two more runs. Muskegon led 4-0 in the early going.
Muskegon got a strong start from Cody Mautz (SO, Fruitport, MI) who held the Norse quiet through the first three innings. Bay finally answered in the fourth. Gibson singled and Gomersall singled with one out and Josh Blake (SO, Seffner, FL) followed that with a double to left, driving in a run and setting runners up at second and third. The Norse got a run on some heads up, aggressive baserunning. The following batter struck out, but the Jayhawks had to secure the out at first. Gomersall timed his jump perfectly and scored on the throw, narrowly beating the tag at the plate, and cutting the Jayhawk lead to 4-2.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth. The Norse set the table early as Gibson doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a Gomersall single. Blake singled to left to drive in a run, and Watts laid down a well-placed bunt on the third base line for a single to load the bases. Two consecutive wild pitches gave Bay the lead as Gomersall and Blake got great reads on both pitches and scurried home. The Norse got an insurance run when Charlson Croes (FR, Orenjstad, Aruba) hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Watts. The Norse led 6-4 heading into the last frame and worked around a two-out single from Muskegon in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win.
George Cooper (FR, Eltham, Australia) got a no-decision in his start, going five innings and giving up six hits, four runs, two of which were earned, and walking two while striking out four. Cohen Thompson (FR, Bend, OR) picked up the win, pitching the final two innings and giving up two hits while striking out one.
Joseph Handley (SO, Toronto, ON) took the loss in relief. He pitched two innings and gave up four earned runs on four hits and one walk.
Gibson was two for two with two runs scored and a walk. Gomersall also picked up two hits in two at bats and reached on a base on balls. Blake was two for three with a run scored and two RBI.
The Norse continue conference play next weekend when they face off with the Grand Rapids Community College Raiders. GRCC swept a four-game series against Alpena Community College to start their conference season and are currently 14-9. Friday's games will start at 2 pm, while first pitch on Saturday will be at 1 pm in Grand Rapids.