MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Norse Baseball Team (7-2) finished off their spring trip winning two out of three games, finishing the week-long trip with the best record in school history after their southern swing.
The Norse took an early lead against the Salem Community College Mighty Oaks (2-3). With the bases loaded in the first Zach Gibson (FR, Nassau, Bahamas) singled up the middle to drive in two. Zac Gomersall (SO, Perth, Australia) followed that up with a opposite field, three-run home run, putting Bay up five before Salem got a chance to hit.
The Mighty Oaks got a gifted run in the bottom half as the Norse committed three consecutive errors. A bases loaded walk brought a run to the plate, but Bay's starter Hunter Ballantyne (FR, Brantford, ON) struck out the next two hitters to work himself out of the jam.
Bay got that run back in the third when Gibson blasted an RBI double to left. The Norse then added five runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach, highlighted by a Lorenzo Feliciano (FR, Deerfield Beach, FL) RBI single.
Ballantyne was spectacular in his outing, going five and two-thirds and giving up just one hit, one walk, and one unearned run while striking out nine. Scottie Hiller (SO, Escanaba, MI) finished up the game, striking out one.
Gibson was three for three in the game with three runs scored and three RBI. Feliciano collected a pair of hits, while Gomersall was two for four with two runs scored and three RBI.
The Norse finished off the second half of their Thursday night double dip with a matchup with Penn State Schuylkill.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, Bay got a clutch two-out hit from Gibson that sent two runners to the plate. Bay added a third run in the fourth when Charlson Croes (FR, Orenjestad, Aruba) lined a single into left for an RBI.
Things would turn from there as Schuylkill took advantage of an error and a one-out walk in the fifth. A double and three singles gave them a two-run lead, and another run was added on a throwing error, putting Bay down 6-3.
After a leadoff homerun by Connor Licklider (FR, Hamburg, PA) in the sixth, Schuylkill poured it on in the seventh. Five runs put the game out of reach in the final frame, highlighted by a two-run homer from Nate Gilbert (FR, Shoemakersville, PA). The Norse would lose just their second game of the season by a final of 12-3.
Gomersall took the loss in relief for Bay.
Gilbert finished the game with three hits and four RBI, while Licklider and Owen Zimmerman (SR, Shoemakersville, PA) each had three hits and three RBI.
The Norse had a final Friday morning matchup with first year program Penn State Shenango to round out the trip.
Tyler Darmogray (FR, Gladstone, MI) led off the bottom of the first with a ringing double to left. After a walk, Gibson blasted a homerun to left into the wind to give Bay the lead. Gomersall added to it later in the inning with an RBI single. Jace Cota (SO, Chippewa Falls, WI) scored on a wile pitch, and Darmogray picked up an RBI. The Norse sent 11 batters to the plate in the first, scoring six runs in the frame to take control.
Josh Blake (SO, Seffner, FL) doubled in the third, sending Cota to the plate to put Bay up 7-0.
Shenango's only run of the game came in the fifth when they would execute a double steal, but they never were able to put much together because of a strong Norse pitching performance. Lorenzo Feliciano picked up a win in his second start, going five innings and giving up five hits, two walks, and one run, while striking out two. Thijs Rijpstra (FR, Dongen, Netherlands) pitched the final two and walked one while striking out two.
Gibson and Gomersall finished with two hits in the game.
Bay will try to build off their momentum with a trip to Rockford, IL for a four-game series against Rock Valley College. Saturday's doubleheader will start at 1 pm, with the final two games on Sunday starting at noon.