ESCANABA, MI – The Bay College Norse (15-23) hosted the Dakota County Technical College Blue Knights (21-3) in a four-game series that proved to be critical for the seeding of the Sub-Regional Tournament. The Blue Knights took three of the four games to secure the top seed and a bye in the first round of play.
In the opener on Thursday afternoon the Norse were forced to play from behind. The Blue Knights loaded the bases with no one out in the top of the first and took advantage of an error, eventually plating three runs. A pair of errors in the third extended the lead to 4-0.
The Norse finally answered back in the bottom half of the fifth. Sarah Wynn (FR, Pitt Meadows, BC) hit a two-out double to start the rally. Lexi Challier (SO, Escanaba, MI) followed that with an RBI double to left, and scored on Taelor Zeise's (FR, Gladstone, MI) single to center, cutting the lead in half.
Dakota County picked up an insurance run in the seventh. Julia Offerdahl (FR, Minneapolis, MN) lined a double to center to drive in a run. A two-out single was not enough to bring her home as the Blue Knights would strand runners on first and third in the inning.
Bay had one last chance and was able to put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh. After a pair of walks Challier singled to left, scoring a run and putting the tying run on base. A fly ball in the infield for the first out did not advance the runners, but they were able to move up on a ground ball. They would be stuck there as the final out was made on a fly ball to center, giving Dakota County a 5-3 victory.
Courtney Heagle (SO, Inver Grove Heights, MN) picked up the win in the pitcher's circle, giving up five hits, three runs, and five walks while striking out nine in a complete game effort.
Karlie Patron (Fr, Ishpeming, MI) took the loss. She scattered eight hits, gave up five runs, only three of which were earned, and walked three. She struck out four batters.
The Norse were out to split the first day of games and their offense gave them the boost they needed. In the top of the third Bay drew two walks to lead off the inning. Wynn helped her team take advantage and lined a ball to center that cleared the fence for a three-run homer. Challier continued the fireworks in the very next at bat, driving one out of the park to left field. After a ground out, the Norse got a third homerun in the inning, this time it was Zeise who drove one over the fence in left field to cap off a five-run inning.
After DCTC added a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, the Norse continued their power surge in the top of the fourth. Korey Kaukola (SO, Champion, MI) hit a solo homerun with one out. After a pair of singles, Zeise struck again, blasting a three-run shot to left making the score 9-1 in favor of Bay.
Bay continued to swing hot bats in the fifth. Bonnie Cortinas (FR, Long Beach, MS) doubled in a run. Challier then hit her second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot to left field.
The Blue Knights added a run in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as the Norse took game two by a final of 12-2.
Hannah Edington (SO, Millington, MI) worked all five innings for the win, giving up seven hits and two runs, while striking out one and walking one.
Natalie Nusbaum (FR, Spring Lake Park, MN) got tagged with the loss. Eleven of the twelve runs on her line were earned. She struck out six and walked five.
Zeise's two home runs led her to four RBI in the game. Kaukola, Wynn, and Challier each had a pair of hits, while Wynn and Challier drove in three, while Kaukola ended up with two RBI.
Game three on Friday saw a reversal of fortunes for the Norse. The Blue Knights took an early 2-0 lead, on a passed ball and an RBI double. Dakota County added two more in the third as an error aided the effort and Maria Gutzmann (FR, Ham Lake, MN) doubled to left field to drive in a run.
The Norse cut that lead in half in the bottom of the third. With two on and two outs Ziese drove in a pair with a single to left.
Offerdahl led of the fifth with a homerun to center, making the score 5-2 in favor of DCTC.
A Challier two-run shot to left pulled the Norse to within one in the bottom half of the inning.
The Blue Knights broke the game wide open in the sixth. Five hits and two walks led to a six-run outburst. The visitors scored two more in the seventh, putting the game out of reach. They would go on to win by a final of 13-4.
Courtney Heagle was credited with the win, striking out eight in seven innings of work. She gave up eight hits and four walks.
Patron took the loss for the Norse, striking out ten batters in the game.
Zeise was three for three with two RBI, while Wynn was three for four with two runs scored.
Offerdahl went four for four with three RBI and three runs scored.
The finale saw the Norse offense struggle to find an answer for Courtney Heagle, who pitched a two-hit shutout, walking just two and striking out six.
Both Norse hits were to Challier who was stranded at third after a triple in the first.
The Blue Knights got an RBI single from Lillian Barnes (FR, Lonsdale, MN) in the second, and RBI ground out off of the bat of Spenser Mohr (FR, Fargo, ND) in the third, and an RBI single from Nusbaum in the fourth.
Edington took the loss for the Norse. She gave up seven hits, two earned runs, and walked no one. She struck out three.