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Bay Softball Rally Falls Short Against Delta College
 Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos taken by Brad Landis, and to hear post-game comments from Coach Ross Rahoi.
The Norse were never in the opener, tallying only two base hits and getting mercied in five innings. It looked like the same thing might happen in the second game when Bay gave up seven runs in the fourth inning to fall behind, 8-0. But this time, the Norse battled back with seven runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 In the end, though, the Norse couldn't keep up with the Pioneers, losing by two runs after fighting back again in the seventh inning after falling behind, 13-7.
“This conference is too good, and the teams we play are too solid, to spot them eight runs, or seven runs, or nine, or ten, or even four sometimes,” Bay College Head Coach Ross Rahoi said. “We've got to play better than that. The fight is there. But it's been a constant theme for us this year in regards to kind of being allergic to success. It's getting frustrating.”
Frustrating because the ladies have shown flashes of success all season long, while at the same time not being able to execute some of the basics of softball. Both were on display on Friday as Bay was completely outplayed in the first game and for half of the nightcap before mounting rallies to pump some excitement into the crowd on a sunny, breezy afternoon at the Wells Sports Complex.
The doubleheader's second game saw Delta lead, 1-0, after three innings, before scoring seven times in the top of the fourth to go up, 8-0. In that inning, the Pioneers had eight hits, highlighted by a two-run triple by Andin Bommarito on a play where the Norse threw the ball around, including not getting the out on a runner coming to the plate.
Taylor Stodolak and Haley Sadler followed with back-to-back RBI hits as the Pioneers appeared ready to get their second mercy-rule win of the day. But, not so fast.
 In the bottom of the inning, Bay fought back. A couple of infield hits, an error, and a single by Desiree Bender brought in the first run of the afternoon for the Norse.
Then after a fielder's choice ground-out and a walk, Avery Sorochan smoked a line drive home run off of the right field scoreboard. It was a grand slam home run that ignited the team, and the fans in the stands, and it brought Bay to within 8-7.
“We got a couple of flares to fall in, which we needed to see, and, I mean, Lakin is a good pitcher,” Rahoi said. “We didn't make good adjustments, these last couple of days, and then all of a sudden, we get those flares to fall in and she (Sorochan) blasted it off the scoreboard. It was a huge spot. That was the first one where she's really squared up in probably a week or so, and she pounded it. That was a big hit for us.”
But the Norse couldn't keep the Pioneers from tacking on more runs. A walk, wild pitch, and base hit by Sadler gave Delta a 9-7 cushion. In the bottom of the inning, the Norse had an opportunity when they loaded the bases without hitting the ball out of the infield. And Sorochan was at the plate again. This time, though, she grounded out to first base.
 In the sixth inning, Bay fell further behind thanks to a pair of errors and two base hits that plated two runs. And in the seventh, another error, followed by two base hits, one of them by Beechler, and the Norse deficit was six runs again, at 13-7.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Norse made another rally. Ava Mottin had a two-run base hit to close to within 13-9, but unfortunately, she was thrown out trying to go to second base, depriving the Norse of a critical out even as two runs scored.
With two outs, Sorochan kept the game alive with a base hit, prompting Delta to take Beechler off of the pitching circle and bringing Fryzel back to try to close it out.
The Norse hit her this time. Rachel Winkel got an RBI single. Then Desiree Bender brought in a run with a ground-out. Natalie Belanger got a base hit. And so, the Norse had runners at the corners with two outs, and Ellie Miller coming to the plate.
Rahoi had Lizzy Sliva run for Belanger at first base, but did not ask her to steal second to get into scoring position, with a second runner at third base.
 “Our team speed isn't great,” Rahoi explained. “And (Delta catcher) Jorja Gauthier has a good arm behind the plate. The idea was if Ellie can get the ball up the gap, then at the very least, I get Lizzy to third. And we had two outs. Ellie hasn't been hitting well lately, but she was due, and we were hoping she would run into one.”
But Miller, who routinely hit the ball over the fence last season for the Norse, this time, took a called third strike to end a long, roller-coaster softball game.
“I have confidence in Ellie,” Rahoi said. “When she busts out of it, she can get on hot streaks. She can send balls 250 feet really quickly. It just didn't quite happen today.”
The Norse used three pitchers in the second-game loss. Lizzy Drabant started and lasted 3 1/3 innings, and she'll take the loss after allowing seven runs on eleven hits. Brooke Gannon threw middle relief, allowing two runs on three hits, and then Diane Salinas tossed the final three innings. She yielded three runs on seven hits as the Pioneers collected 21 base hits in the game.
Bay had 18 hits of its own, with Bender and Rothe each getting three of them.
 In the first game, Belanger had a double and Rothe a single for the only two hits of the game for the Norse. That game was put out of reach by a massive three-run homer by Beechler, also off of the right field scoreboard, in the top of the fifth inning. Beechler also had an RBI single and an RBI double. She ended up with six RBI in the game.
Also for Delta, Brooklyn Tocco had five hits in the doubleheader.
The Pioneers improved to 6-3 in MCCAA play, temporarily putting them in first place in the North Conference. They are 7-11 overall. Bay College fell to 11-20 overall on the season, 5-9 in the MCCAA North Division, which for now, is last place.
The teams will play again Saturday morning at 11:00 to close the five-game series.
“We need to hang close with some teams around us,” Rahoi said. “We've got to be able to take two out of a series when we can.”
The Norse will play five games in Alpena next weekend. 
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