Norse Softball Team Picks Up 2 Tourney Victories

MINNESAPOLIS---The Bay College Norse softball team was one strike away from dropping into the loser's bracket of the three-team NJCAA Region 13 tournament Tuesday afternoon in the Twin Cities. 

The Norse trailed Dakota County Technical College, 5-4, with two runners on and two out. With a 1-2 count on her, Gladstone High  School graduate Jenna Tardiff smacked a line drive to left field, scoring Korey Kaukola and Lexi Chaillier with the tying and go-ahead runs.

Then Karlie Patron got the final three outs in the bottom of the inning, and the Norse picked up a huge 6-5 win over the Blue Knights. Earlier in the day, Bay spotted Gogebic Community College a 2-0 lead in the first inning but recovered to roll to a 13-4 victory.

So on Wednesday, GCC will face DCTC, and the Norse will face the winner. If Bay wins, they will host the regional championship tournament this Sunday and Monday in Escanaba. If DCTC wins, the teams would play again, with home field on the line.

In Tuesday's first game, Bay fell behind 2-0, but roared back against Gogebic pitcher Christen Smith. Chailler doubled home the first run, Taelor Zeise continued her hot hitting with an RBI single, and then Riley Arndt smacked a two-run double to make it 4-2.

Bay scored three more runs in the second inning. Sarah Wynn doubled in one of them. 

The Norse gave up two unearned runs in the top of the third inning, but put the game away with five runs in the third inning. Chaillier doubled in another run, Zeise walked with the bases loaded, and Kristin Goodacre had an RBI single. Patron wrapped up the inning with a run-scoring double.

Chaillier was 3-for-4 while Goodacre and Zeise each had two hits.

In the second game, DCTC scored two unearned runs on an error in right field (by Tardiff), and then in the bottom of the second inning, the Blue Knights went up 4-0 on another error in right field, and an RBI triple by Elizabeth Lehrer.

Trailing 4-0, Bay battled back in the third inning. Kaukola singled home the first run, then with two out, Zeise and Tardiff had back-to-back RBI singles to make it 4-3.

It stayed that way until the fifth inning, when Zeise singled home Kaukola to tie it at 4-4.

DCTC regained the lead on an error by Wynn at shortstop in the sixth inning before the Norse regrouped in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Tardiff made amends for the defensive errors with the clutch base hit.

Patron got the win in relief, throwing four innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits. Hannah Edington started and gave up four runs (all unearned) on four hits in three innings.

Courtney Heagle took the loss for DCTC. The Blue Knights fell to 21-4 on the season. They have a 3-2 record against the Norse this season. But Bay (17-25) is now in the driver's seat to be able to host the team from the western side of the bracket (Montana area).