IRONWOOD, MI – The Norse Softball Team (14-20) completed a season sweep of U.P. and Region 13 rival the Gogebic Community College Samsons (0-16).  Bay had to fight from behind to secure a 14-8 victory in the opener, then poured it on in the nightcap, taking that one by a final of 30-0.

Lexi Challier (SO, Escanaba, MI) drove a ball out of the park in the third inning to give the Norse a brief lead in the first game.  Kelsie Weisorek doubled to drive in two in the bottom half, and Madison Johns hit a three-run blast to put the Samsons up 5-1.

The Norse wasted little time getting themselves back in the lead.  Karlie Patron (FR, Ishpeming, MI)  hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth.  The rally continued as Bonnie Cortinas (FR, Long Beach, MS) tripled the next at bat, and scored on Jenna Tardiff's (FR, Gladstone, MI) single to center.  Korey Kaukola (SO, Champion, MI) tied the game with an RBI single of her own, and Sarah Wynn (FR, Pitt Meadows, BC) promptly untied it with a two-run homerun to left. 

The Norse held their two-run lead into the fifth.  Madison Johns struck again in the bottom half, belting her second home run of the game, this one was good for two runs, tying the score at seven.

The Norse took the lead for good in the sixth.  Wynn stepped up in a big situation again, homering to center to bring Tardiff in to score.  Kristin Goodacre (FR, Rapid River, MI) added insurance runs later on in the inning with a two RBI single to center.  An error would bring in another run, and Challier picked up a pair of RBI in the seventh with a single. 

Patron toed the rubber in relief and got the win.  She pitched four and two thirds and gave up six hits, three runs, two earned, while walking two and striking out three.

Cristen Green went the distance for the Samsons and took the loss.

Challier led the charge for the Norse, picking up four hits in five at bats and three RBI.  Wynn and Patron each had three hits, with Wynn driving in four runs. 

Johns collected five RBI in the game.

The Norse offense took advantage of ten Gogebic errors in game two, and racked up an impressive 22 hits to absolutely smother the Samsons.  Seven hits, four errors, and four walks broke the game wide open in the top of the first, as the Norse plated 13 runs in the inning.

Bay kept the pressure on throughout, scoring four in the second, six in the third, three in the fourth, and four in the fifth. 

Meanwhile, Hannah Edington (SO, Millington, MI) was dominant from the pitcher's circle.  She allowed just four hits, walked no one, and struck out five in five innings of work.

Seven Norse batters ended up with multi-hit games.  Goodacre had five of them in six at bats, including a double, five runs scored, and three RBI.  Tardiff was four for five with three RBI and three runs scored, while Taelor Zeise (FR, Gladstone, MI) and Kaukola each collected three hits.

The Norse continue Region 13 play the next two days.  They will return home to host Dakota County Technical College.  Thursday's doubleheaders are scheduled for a 3 pm start, while a pair of games on Friday will be slated for a noon first pitch.