WELLS, MI - The Bay College Softball Team (14-6) played their first ever home games on Tuesday afternoon. They would sweep a doubleheader, beating the Finlandia University Lions (7-21) 9-1 and 2-0.
GAME 1 - BAY COLLEGE - 9, FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY - 1
The Norse would jump on the Lions in the first inning. They would take advantage of three walks and a wild pitch to score their first run, but Maddy Griffin (FR, Escanaba, MI) would make sure the Lions paid for giving up free bases. She blasted a homerun to left field, a three-run shot, giving the Norse a 4-0 lead.
Bay would add to their lead in innings three through six. In the third Griffin would strike again, this time doubling to drive in a run. Eve LaFleche (FR, Hillman, MI) got in on the act in the fourth with an RBI double of her own. Kaitlyn Hardwick (FR, Gladstone, MI) turned on the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth inning, sending that over the left field fence for a solo homerun. Emily LaFave (SO, Escanaba, MI) drove in a run in the sixth with a double, and would score on Jerricka McAlpine's (SO, Escanaba, MI) double to center that would end the game.
Meanwhile the Lions struggled to get anything going offensively. Lexi Winling (FR, Gladstone, MI) was brilliant, giving up just two hits, walking three, and striking three. Her lone mistake came in the fourth inning when Denia Bent (JR, Cape Coral, FL) led off with a deep homerun to center.
Griffin ended the game two for three with a run scored and four RBI. LaFleche was also two for three with a run scored and had one RBI.
GAME 2 - BAY COLLEGE - 2, FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY - 0
Once again, the Norse grabbed the lead in first and hold on for the win. McAlpine singled with one out and scored on Griffin's fly ball double to center. Back-to-back singles by Hardwick and Griffin in the third would plate the second run of the game.
The Lions continued to struggle offensively. After leading off the second with a walk and a hit by pitch, the threat would go to the wayside as the next three batters would go down on strikes to end the inning. Finlandia would again fail to take advantage of baserunners in the fourth. A leadoff walk would move to second on a groundout, and the Lions would get a second base on balls with one out. They were not able to put a ball in play again, as the next two batters would look at strike three. Finlandia would get their lone hit in the sixth inning but would leave two on base in that frame as well. The Lions would leave eight on in the game.
Rhiley Hubert (SO, Rapid River, MI) was effective in her five innings of work. She would earn the win by giving up just the one hit and walking four, while striking out seven. Winling walked two and struck out one over the final two innings to earn a save. Bent wound up with a loss for the Lions, pitching the entire game and giving up six hits, two earned runs, and striking out eight while walking no one.
Griffin completed her big day by going three for three with a double in the nightcap. She drove in both Norse runs.
Bay will stay home for a weekend matchup with Gogebic Community College. The four game series will kick off at 1pm on Friday with a doubleheader, and will conclude on Saturday with a second doubleheader, also scheduled for a 1pm first pitch.