HEMLOCK, MI – The Norse Baseball Team (9-8, 5-4 MCCAA) found themselves in tight games all weekend long. They were forced to come from behind in three of the four matchups and scored their go ahead run in their last at bats in two of the matchups, but they managed to sweep the four-game set from Delta College (6-18, 1-10 MCCAA).
Weather forced the games to be pushed to Saturday and Sunday this weekend, then more rain threatened the series when Delta's home field was not available. Thankfully Hemlock High School stepped up and provided the venue for the weekend.
Game one turned out to be a pitcher's duel, as the game remained scoreless heading into the seventh. The Pioneers were forced to go to the bullpen to start the frame, and immediately put a runner on with a hit by pitch. Bay elected to sacrifice bunt to advance the runner, then Pioneer pitching faltered, walking two more hitters. They still had a chance to get out of it as the next ball was hit back at the pitcher, who got the force out at the plate, but they couldn't turn the double play.
The scoreless tie was broken when Eric Johnson (SO, Marquette, MI) was hit by a pitch. Michael Rey (SO, Dunnellon, FL) then lined a single to right to drive in two more. Two more runs came across when George Cooper (SO, Skenners Head, Australia) singled to left, and he scored on a Zach Gibson (SO, Nassau, Bahamas) double, giving the Norse a six-run lead.
A pair of singles and an error put Delta on the board, but Bay's starter Cohen Thompson (SO, Chapin, SC) slammed the door on a comeback by getting the last two outs. Thompson was brilliant, going the distance for the Norse, giving up just three hits, one unearned run, walking one, and striking out three.
Rey, Cooper, and Gibson each had multi-hit games.
Bryson Luth (SO, Reese, MI) kept Bay off balance for six innings, giving up four hits and walking three in his start. He struck out six. Landon Sella (SO, Essexville, MI) took the loss on the mound.
The Pioneers bounced back in game two and getting on the board early. After a pair of singles they would drive in their first run on a groundout, and score a second on a passed ball, giving them a 2-0 lead.
The Norse would chip away starting in the third. After a leadoff walk and a balk, a fly ball moved the runner to third. Lorenzo Feliciano (SO, Deerfield Beach, FL) picked up an RBI with a groundball to short.
Bay took advantage of another leadoff walk in the fourth. This time it was Bon LaChance (FR, Escanaba, MI) coming up big. He lined a single to left to tie the game.
The Norse threatened again in the sixth. With one out and the bases loaded, Harrison Haigh (FR, Essendon, Australia) drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to right. Delta would get out of the jam, but the damage had been done.
Delta went in order in the sixth, but got a leadoff double to start the seventh. A strikeout and groundout gave Bay a way out of the inning. After a walk a fly ball to center ended the game with Bay taking the victory.
Cooper was the winning pitcher. He gave up five hits, two runs, one earned, and two walks. He struck out eight in seven innings of work.
Bay had just three hits in the game.
Tyson Baumann (FR, Elmira, ON) took a tough-luck loss on the mound. He also went seven innings, giving up three runs, two earned, and walking five. He struck out five.
The Pioneers grabbed an early lead to start Sunday afternoon once again. With two outs in the first they would get a hit by pitch and single to put runners on, and a defensive miscue in the outfield plated the first run. Two more runs came across on wild pitches and the home team had a three run lead after one inning of play.
Bay cut into that lead in the third. Cooper singled to drive in a run and Gibson lifted a sacrifice fly to center, cutting the lead to one. The Norse took advantage of a two-out error in the fourth with a Shane Lievsay (FR, Prescott Valley, AZ) RBI single, tying the game heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Two errors gave a pair of runs to Delta in the bottom half of the inning, and Bay was force to play from behind for the second time in the matchup. The Pioneers added two more in the fifth with a base hit from Caiden Larkin (SO, Hemlock, MI), and Bay was in a four-run hole late.
A pair of walks and a two out single from Rey loaded the bases with two outs for Bay in the sixth. Cooper promptly unloaded them with a double to center, plating three, and pulling Bay to within one. He would be left on second however, and the Norse still trailed heading into the seventh.
Delta could not take advantage of two baserunners in the bottom of the sixth. Bay drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and the pinch runner Eli Gardner (FR, Escanaba, MI) was running on a 1-2 pitch to Cam Street (SO, Newmarket, ON) and was able to advance all the way to third on a groundout. That allowed him to score on LaChance's groundball to second, tying the game.
Bay avoided trouble in the bottom of the seventh, stranding two, but could not take advantage of a leadoff walk in the eighth. A two-out single and an error came up empty for Delta in the bottom of the eighth.
Bay got a leadoff single to start the ninth from Gibson. Gardner followed that up with a beautiful bunt to the right side that went for a hit. A sacrifice bunt moved the two runners into scoring position and LaChance came up big again, this time with a triple to right. He would score on a two-out wild pitch, giving the Norse a three-run lead.
A sacrifice fly cut the lead to two in the bottom half. With one out and a runner on second, Delta hit a flare to the right side that seemed destined to find the grass in the outfield, but Johnson made an over-the-shoulder leaping catch in the outfield and was able to get up and double off the runner on second to end the game with a thrilling extra inning victory for Bay.
Lievsay was three for three with three walks for the Norse. Cooper ended up with two hits in five at bats and had four RBI.
Lievsay started the game and went four and one-third. He gave up just three hits and three walks, but was the victim of poor defense, as all seven runs that scored against him were unearned. He struck out four.
Thijs Rijpstra (SO, Dongen, Netherlands) picked up the win in relief. He pitched three and two-thirds and gave up three hits and one run. He walked two and struck out two. Bill Hosegood (SO, Radisson, SK) earned the save in one inning of work.
Layke Hornung (SO, Midland, MI) picked up the loss for Delta.
The Norse took the first lead in the nightcap. In the second inning Austin Samanske (SO, Eagle River, WI) connected and drove a ball over the left field fence for a two-run homerun.
Norse starter Lorenzo Feliciano seemed to be cruising until the fifth. An error started the inning and back-to-back singles followed by another defensive miscue tied the game. With two outs a wild pitch scored another run and after a walk a hit by pitch forced another run to the plate, giving Delta a 4-2 lead late.
Bay's response was quick. They led off the top of the sixth with a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch, loading the bases. After a pop out, Samanske lined a ball to left, bringing in two runs and tying the game. Lievsay followed that up with an RBI single, giving Bay the lead. Cooper added insurance with a two out single, bringing in two more runs. Bay scored two more on wild pitches and were set up with a five-run lead.
Andres Franco (SO, Orenjestad, Aruba) came on in relief. After a leadoff walk he got a double play ground ball and worked around a single to get out of the inning. He got the Pioneers in order in the seventh to lock down the Norse sweep.
Samanske was the only Norse to pick up multiple hits in the game and had four RBI.
Feliciano was the winning pitcher. He struck out seven in five innings of work. One of his four runs were earned.
The Norse will get some nonconference action in on Wednesday as they travel to Milwaukee to face the Milwaukee Area Tech Stormers. That doubleheader is scheduled for a 3 pm start. They continue MCCAA Northern Conference play next weekend when they play Alpena Community College.