TRIPLE VICTORY: Norse Softball Bounces Back
This story was written by Bay College SID Mike Pankow
TITUSVILLE, FL – The Norse Softball Team (4-5) snapped a four game losing streak on Monday, sweeping a three game set on their spring break trip.
They defeated Itasca Community College 12-3, St. Cloud Community and Technical College 7-4, and Macomb Community College 16-7.
In game one a five run second inning got things going and the Norse put the game away with three in the third and one in the fourth. Brittany Schwartz (FR, Rapid River, MI) started the scoring with an RBI single. Lexi Chaillier (FR, Escanaba, MI) then tripled to right, driving in two, and scored on a wild pitch. Kaitlyn Hardwick (SO, Gladstone, MI) followed that up with a solo homerun to center.
Itasca answered with three in the bottom half, but the Norse got right back at it in the third. Schwartz doubled in a run, and Chaillier hit her third homerun of the young season, this one a two-run shot to center, giving the Norse an 8-3 lead.
Richelle Vandeville (SO, Rapid River, MI) homered to leadoff the fourth, and Bay added three more in the sixth. Chaillier had yet another RBI hit, Hardwick doubled to plate her, and scored when Tatiana LaFave (FR, Bark River, MI) grounded out to short.
Schwartz picked up the win on the mound, giving up three runs on six hits and six walks, while striking out six. Chaillier's three hits would earn here five RBI, and Hardwick ended up with a three for five with two RBI game.
St. Cloud Tech took the early lead in the second game of the day with a three-run homerun by Laura Skiba (FR, Pierz, MN). Bay manufactured a run in the first, and took the lead in the second. Georgia Lehto (FR, Escanaba, MI) hit an RBI single, and Chaillier followed here with a two-run homerun.
After the Cyclones tied the game, it would be Madison Griffin (SO, Escanaba, MI) drove in the go-ahead run in the fourth. They managed another run off of an error later in the inning, Chaillier continued to swing a hot bat. She led off the sixth with her third homerun of the day, making the score 7-4 in favor of the Norse.
Eden Oswald (FR, Bark River, MI) got the complete game win. She gave up four runs, on five hits and five walks. She also struck out ten in the matchup.
In the finale the Norse answered a four run first by Macomb with five runs in the bottom half. That inning was capped off by a three-run homerun by Taylor Hunter (SO, Gladstone, MI).
Griffin hit a sacrifice fly in the second, and Korey Kaukola (FR, Ishpeming, MI) doubled in another run in the third, before an offensive outburst in the fourth.
The Norse plated nine runs on nine hits and one error in the inning, allowing Bay to run away with a 16-7 victory.
Chaillier finished the game three for four, and Hardwick also collected three hits on four at bats with an RBI. Griffin collected four RBI on one hit, while Hunter collected four RBI on two hits.
Oswald earned her second win of the day. This game she gave up seven runs, but just one of those was earned. She gave up six hits and two walks and struck out two.
Bay College takes Tuesday off before returning to action on Wednesday morning with a doubleheader against St. Clair County Community College. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 am.
