ROSEMOUNT, MN – After pulling off the upset on day one against the top seeded Dakota County Technical College Blue Knights (24-4) and taking control of the Eastern Sub-Region Tournament, the Bay Norse College Softball Team (17-27) could not finish off the tournament and bring the Region 13 Championship Tournament to Escanaba, MI.  The Norse lost in heartbreaking fashion in two back-and-forth battles by final scores of 6-4 and 11-10.

In the first game the Norse saw a 4-0 lead erased in the late innings.  Bay built that lead early on, as Jenna Tardiff (FR, Gladstone, MI) doubled in the first to drive in a run.

Bay added to their lead in the third.  Korey Kuakola (SO, Champion, MI) tripled to lead off the inning and scored on Sarah Wynn's (FR, Pitt Meadows, BC) sacrifice fly to center.  Kaukola struck again in the fifth, this time smacking a two-run home run over the fence in left, giving the Norse what seemed like a comfortable lead at the time.

The Blue Knights finally answered back in the sixth.  Madelyn Vargo (FR, Mayor, MN) drove in their first run of the game with a one-out double.  An error extended the inning and allowed DCTC to cut into the lead more as Vargo scored on a two-out fielder's choice groundball.

The Blue Knights quickly loaded the bases in the seventh with a pair of singles and a hit batter.  With one out Julia Offerdahl (FR, Minneapolis, MN) doubled to left.  It would clear the bases, giving Dakota County its first lead of the game.  Maria Gutzman (FR, Ham Lake, MN) added an insurance run with an RBI single.

The Norse would get a pair of hits in the seventh, but they would be left on base.  The 6-4 win forced a decisive final game of the tournament to determine the host of the Region 13 Championship.

Courtney Heagle (SO, Inner Grove Heights, MN) picked up the in in five innings of work.  She game up five hits, four runs, and two walks.  Amber Roby (FR, Apple Valley, MN) pitched a pair of scoreless innings to earn the save.

Karlie Patron (FR, Ishpeming, MI) pitched six and two-thirds innings.  Five of the six runs she gave up were earned, off of ten hits and four walks.  She struck out five.  Hannah Edington (SO, Middleton, WI) got the final out.

Offerdahl was two for three with three RBI.  Elizabeth Lehrer (FR, Little Chute, WI) was two for four.

Kaukola led Bay with three hits in three at bats.  She scored three times, drove in two runs, and walked once.  Zeise picked up a pair of hits in three at bats and drew a walk.

The Norse made the first tally in game two.  In the top of the first Taelor Ziese (FR, Gladstone, MI) reached on an infield single that drove in a run with two outs.  She would score on the very next batter as Tardiff ripped a triple to left, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Norse.

The Blue Knights would respond in a big way in the bottom of the second.  As a team they started the inning with eight consecutive singles, and ended up with 11 base hits in the frame overall.  By the time the Norse were back in the dugout, DCTC had scored eight runs and grabbed a commanding lead.

Bay College waste no time responding and digging out of the hole.  Kaukola led off the third with a single and came all the way around to score on Wynn's triple.  Challier then followed that with a shot to left, and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park homerun.  After a Zeise double, the Norse got a second home run that stayed in the field of play, this one off the bat of Tardiff, making the score 8-7 in favor of the homestanding Blue Knights.

After a three up, three down inning for DCTC, the Norse would reclaim the lead in the fourth.  Zeise drove in the tying run wit a single to center.  Tardiff followed that with an infield single, giving Bay the lead.  Zeise then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kristin Goodacre (FR, Rapid River, MI).  The Norse held a 10-8 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. 

Neither team put together much of a threat until the bottom of the sixth.  With one out the Blue Knights drew two walks, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate.  Spenser Mohr (FR, Fargo, ND) made sure to make Bay pay.  On the second pitch of her at bat she drove a ball to deep center that cleared the fence, giving DCTC an 11-10 lead. 

The Norse had one last chance to tie or take the lead, but could not get anything going in the top of the seventh, and Dakota County earned the right to host the Regional Tournament.

Heagle picked up the win in relief.  She pitched five innings and gave up seven hits and five runs.  She struck out four and walked two.

Patron was tagged with the loss.  She pitched five innings and gave up six hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out two.

Mohr, Vargo, and Gutzmann picked up three hits apiece.

Tardiff picked up four hits in four at bats with a triple, home run, four RBI, and a run scored.  Zeise hit safely three times in four at bats and had two RBI.  Kaukola and Wynn each had a pair of hits.

Both Bay College and Dakota County will advance to the Region 13 Tournament.  As the Eastern Sub-Region Champions Dakota County earned the right to host the tournament that will start on Sunday.