ROSEMOUNT, MN – After falling in their opening game of the Region 13 Tournament, the Bay College Norse Softball Team (19-29) fought back with wins over Dakota County Technical College (24-6) and Dawson Community College (32-11). The Norse lost a second time to Miles Community College (29-13-1) in the championship game.
Game 1 – Miles CC 8, Bay College 0
Kassidy Kinzie (FR, Plains, MT) led the Pioneers to an opening round victory as she dealt the Norse a one-hit shutout in game one. Kinzie would walk just one batter and strike out ten, as Bay struggled to get anything against her.
The lone Norse hit came in the fourth. With Miles leading 2-0, Korey Kaukola (SP, Champion, MI) doubled to lead off the inning. A base on balls drawn by Sarah Wynn (FR, Pitt Meadows, BC) put the tying run on, providing the Norse with their biggest threat of the day. Kinzie worked out of the jam however, getting a fly ball for the first out, Kaukola was then caught stealing, and Kinzie struck out a batter for the final out of the inning.
The Pioneers broke the game open late, scoring two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth. They collected 12 hits in the contest, including a solo home run off the bat of Olivia Cook (SO, Belgrade, MT).
Hannah Edington (SO, Middleton, WI) started and took the loss for the Norse. She gave up two runs on four hits and walked two. Karlie Patron (FR, Ishpeming, MI) pitched four innings in relief.
Game 2 – Bay College 14, Dakota County TC 4
In a rematch of the Sub-Region Championship, the Norse used a big scoring output in the early innings to eliminate the host team from the Region 13 Tournament.
The Norse were aided by three DCTC errors in the first innings, and picked up RBI singles from Lexi Challier (SO, Escanaba, MI) and Patron, as well as a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kristin Goodacre (Fr, Rapid River, MI) to take a 4-0 lead.
After the Blue Knights responded with a run in the bottom of the first, the Norse broke the game open in the second. With one out they loaded the bases and got a pair of RBI from Taelor Ziese (FR, Gladstone, MI) on a single to center and a third run in when Jenna Tardiff (FR, Gladstone, MI) singled to left. With two outs Bay got three consecutive RBI singles from Patron, Riley Arndt (FR, Bark River, MI), and Bonnie Cortinas (FR, Long Beach, MS) to put the Norse up 10-1.
Three runs from Dakota County in the bottom of the second would not be enough as Bay responded in the third. After a leadoff walk, Wynn and Challier hit back-to-back RBI triples. An error brought another run to the plate and extended the inning, allowing the Norse to score again on a fielder's choice.
Edington picked up the win for the Norse. All four runs she surrendered were unearned. She scattered five hits and walked no one, striking out one hitter.
Challier was three for four in the game with three runs scored and two RBI. Patron drove in four runs with two hits in four at bats.
Game 3 – Bay College 11, Dawson CC 10
Dawson ended up tying the game twice, but never took the lead in a wild back-and-forth contest for the right to advance to the championship games.
The Norse jumped ahead in the first. Wynn doubled in a run and the Norse scored two runs on a sacrifice fly from Tardiff. They added a fourth run in the third inning, as Tardiff drove in another run with an RBI single that got through the infield.
Dawson answered back with four unearned runs in the fourth. With one out and a runner on first, an error proved to be costly. A single loaded the bases, but a fielder's choice ground ball for the second out plated the first run of the game for the Buccaneers. A two-RBI double, a walk, and an RBI single tied the game at four.
The Norse wasted no time in formulating a response. Patron led off with a single and Arndt and Cortinas drew walks to load the bases in the bottom of the fourth. An error brought two runs in and a ground ball for the first out score another. After Dawson chose to intentionally walk Challier, Zeise found a hole with a single to score a run and Tardiff followed that with an RBI single, making the score 9-4 in favor of the Norse. Back-to-back doubles by Kaukola and Wynn in the fifth added an insurance run for Bay.
Bay found themselves in trouble in the top of the sixth. Three walks loaded the bases with one out, setting the table for Dawson. Five consecutive RBI hits followed, including a two-RBI double from Angel Montoya (FR, Magna, UT). With the game tied, the Buccaneers drew a walk to load the bases with one out. The Norse got out of the inning without further damage however, getting a fly ball and ground ball to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth the Norse got a leadoff walk from Tardiff. She advanced to second on a passed ball and reached third on a ground out. With two outs, Riley Arndt laid down a bunt and was called safe on what was ruled an error, allowing Tardiff to cross the plate with the go-ahead run.
Dawson threatened in the seventh with a pair of singles to lead off the frame. A sacrifice bunt for the first out. A line shot was snared by Wynn at shortstop for the second out. With two outs and the tying and go-ahead runs on, Dawson hit a groundball to Wynn at short who threw home in time to get the runner advancing to the plate for the final out.
Hannah Edington started in the pitcher's circle, and finished the game there, picking up the win. She worked five and one third and gave up nine hits, four unearned runs, and walked just one. Patron came on for one and two thirds innings and gave up six runs on five hits and five walks while striking out two.
Alexa Kappel (SO, Miles City, MT) took the loss in a complete game effort. Five of the eleven runs she gave up were unearned. Her line included eight hits, six walks, and nine strikeouts.
Tardiff had four RBI in a two for two game at the plate. Wynn also collected a pair of hits and two RBI.
Game 4 – Miles CC 13, Bay College 2
Kinzie was dominant against the Norse for a second time in two days, this time giving up just two hits and one earned run. She walked three and struck out seven.
An eight-run first inning for Miles put the game out of reach early for the Norse.
Bay got on the board in the third as Zeise doubled in a run with two outs and Challier scored on a passed ball, but it was all Miles from there as they would cruise to a big victory.
Miles collected 12 hits, drew two walks, and were hit by a pitch four times.
Challier picked up the other hit for the Norse.
Kaukola started for Bay and took the loss.
The win made Miles Community College the Region 13 Champions and advanced them to the North Plains District Championship against Des Moines Area Community College. That best of three series will begin on Thursday at 1 pm.
The loss ends the postseason run and the season for Bay College.