MEQUON, WI – The Bay College Norse Softball Team (8-16) dodged the wet weather and were able to take three out of four games from the Milwaukee Area Technical College Stormers (5-9) on Friday and Saturday.

The Norse found themselves in a tight contest to open up the series Friday night.  The Stormers' took the lead in the second with a two-RBI single from Kennedy Arbuckle (FR, Plymouth, WI) with two outs in the inning. 

The Norse were quick to answer.  With one out in the third, Kaitlyn Hardwick (SO, Gladstone, MI) belted a triple to center.  She scored on Sarah Wynn's (FR, Pitt Meadows, BC) singled to drive in a run and then came all the way around when Lexi Challier (SO, Escanaba, MI) lined a homerun to center, giving the Norse a 3-2 lead.

MATC loaded the bases in the bottom half of the third with one away.  Nicole Brice (FR, Wausau, WI) singled to bring in a run.  Bay's pitcher Karlie Patron (FR, Ishpeming, MI) managed to work out of the jam.  She would get the next two batters to pop up, and the Stormers left the bases packed.

Haley Couillard (FR, Mukwonago, WI) gave the Stormers the lead back with an RBI single in the fourth, but Bay took it right back in the sixth.  An error with the bases loaded tied it up, and then Riley Arndt (FR, Bark River, MI) was hit by a pitch to drive in the run.

Clutch two-out hitting tied the game once again in the bottom of the sixth.  This time Samire Sino (FR, Franklin, WI) lined one to left to tie the game at five.  She was left stranded on third in the inning.

Korey Kaukola (SO, Champion, MI) promptly united the game in the seventh, launching a ball over the fence in right for a solo homerun.  Kristin Goodacre (FR, Rapid River, MI) doubled and scored on a wild pitch to add an insurance run. 

Patron finished the game retiring the lineup in order in the seventh.  She gave up nine hits, five runs, four earned, and two walks while striking out six in seven innings of work to earn the win.

Sino took the loss, giving up seven runs, though just four of those were earned.  She struck out seven and walked no one in seven innings of work.

Hardwick, Wynn, and Challier each tallied multi-hit games for the Norse. 

Brice was two for four with an RBI.

A big first inning sparked the Stormers in the nightcap.  With one out, they rattled off three consecutive hits to score the first run of the game.  With two outs they loaded the bases by being hit by a pitch, then drew a bases loaded walk.   Arbuckle drove in a pair with a single into right, and Ariel Griffin (FR, Greendale, WI) followed that with an infield single that scored two and gave MATC a 6-0 lead.

Bay was able to chip away at the lead in the bottom half of the inning.  After a single by Hardwick, and a walk issued to Wynn, Challier blasted her second homer of the day to center field, cutting the lead in half. 

The Stormers continued their attack in the second.  The first four batters of the inning reached safely, plating another run.  A fielder's choice with one out made it 8-3, but a costly error brought in two more runs, and Milwaukee Area Tech held a 10-3 lead after two.

The Norse strung together some hits of their own with one in the second.  Three consecutive singles set up Arndt to steal home for the first run of the inning.  An error extended the inning, but the Norse were caught trying to steal home a second time to make it two outs in the inning.  A pitch later the Norse put more runners in motion, and it paid off.  Wynn and Challier were successful in a double steal of third and second, and an error allowed them both to score on the play, making the score 10-6.  Goodacre doubled to drive in Kaukola, and the Norse were down by just three.

Both teams made pitching changes and both offenses were baffled from that point on.  Patron gave the Norse a chance to continue their comeback by pitching five scoreless, giving up just two hits and one walk.  She struck out five.

The problem for the Norse is that Sino was equally effective.  In five and one third she allowed just four hits and two walks and struck out 12 batters.  Bay's biggest threat against her was in the bottom of the seventh when Patron singled and Sino issued a walk with two outs, but Sino finished off her strong outing with a strike out to end the game.

Kaukola started the game in the pitcher's circle for the Norse and took the loss.

The series resumed Saturday morning, and Patron picked up where she left off from the pitching rubber.  She ended up with a complete game shutout, giving up just three hits in the game and striking out three.  She walked four hitters. 

Meanwhile the Norse offense battled Sino.  Challier picked up an RBI in the first, as the Norse took advantage of an error and a walk to score without coming up with a hit. 

Kaukola drove in the second run of the game in the third with a two-out single.

Bay added to their lead in the seventh, taking advantage of an outfield error to bring a runner all the way around from first.  Wynn picked up an RBI with a bunt, giving the Norse their fourth run.

Hardwick scored three times in the game.

Sino took the tough luck loss as she gave up four runs, but all of them were unearned.  She gave up just five hits and walked three while striking out nine. 

MATC had four errors in the game.

In the series finale it was the Norse jumping out to a big lead early.  They took advantage of three Stormer errors in the first.  Wynn picked up an RBI single, Kaukola doubled in a run, and Goodacre hit a sacrifice fly to give Bay a 4-0 lead. 

The score remained the same until the fourth.  With two outs Wynn hit a two-run home run to center.  Challier followed that up with yet another homer, this one to left, and Bay had a comfortable 7-0 lead.

Milwaukee Area Tech started to mount a comeback in the sixth.  With two on and one out Couillard  hit an infield single to score their first run of the game.  Samantha Serrano (FR, Kenosha, WI) doubled to drive in two more, and then scored on an error on the next play, making the score 7-4 in favor of the Norse. 

Bay added a couple of runs in the bottom half.  With two outs Wynn singled to bring in a run.  She would score on the next pitch as Challier tripled to center.

Brice drove in an error in the seventh, but the Stormers could not muster anymore runs, and fell by a final score of 9-5.

Patron and Sino were locked in another pitcher's duel in this one, only hindered by errors behind them.

Patron gave up five runs, only three earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out six.  The Norse defense committed three errors.

Sino gave up nine runs, but only four of those were earned.  She gave up seven hits and one walk and struck out six.  MATC had four errors. 

Wynn was three for four and drove in four runs.  Challier also collected three hits in four trips to the plate.  She had two triples to go with the homerun and drove in two.

Brice finished the game two for three.

The Norse finish their weekend with a doubleheader against Bryant and Stratton on Sunday afternoon.