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Norse win two out of three

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The Bay College softball team played three games here Monday, winning two.

After the Lewis and Clark Community College Trailblazers (1-2) beat the Norse 10-1, the Norse took down the Owens Community College Express 17-6, then came back to win in extra innings against the Central Lakes College Raiders 10-6.

The Trailblazers’ Hannah Rexford threw a no-hitter in six innings of work in the first game. Her only blemish was in the fourth when Emily Bruntjens reached via a two-base error, and then scored on another error on the ensuing play. Rexford struck out six and walked just one.

Rhiley Hubert and Lexi Winling split time on the mound, with Hubert taking the loss.

Three Norse errors gave Owens a three-run lead in the first of the second game. The Express’ lone hit in the inning was an RBI double to center.

Two bases loaded walks cut Bay’s deficit to 3-2 before Kaitlyn Hardwick cleared the bases with a triple to make it 4-3 at the end of the first.

The Norse put up five more runs in the fourth to extend their lead. Richelle Vandeville, Jerrika McAlpine and Claire McInerney all had RBI singles.

Bay put the game out of reach in the seventh on a Hardwick double that drove in two more runs, and errors by the Express (1-1) turned it into a six-run inning.

Hardwick had six RBIs, collecting three hits in five at-bats, including a double and a triple. McAlpine went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a triple. Winling gave up three unearned runs in four innings of work to earn the win.

Eve LaFleche got things rolling in the first inning for the Norse against the Raiders (2-4) with a double to center, plating one run, and then scoring later on a Raider error. Hardwick and McInerney both hit RBI doubles in the third, as the Norse held a 4-1 lead.

Central Lakes rallied in the fourth to go ahead 6-4.

The Norse rallied in their last at-bats. It started with an error that put Hardwick on second. LaFleche doubled to center to drive her in, and put herself in scoring position with a chance to tie the game.

The Norse played small ball to force extra innings. After a ground ball to the right side moved the runner to third, McInerney laid down a successful squeeze bunt to tie the game at six.

Vandeville hit an RBI single to start extra innings. A two-out single from Bruntjens extended the inning, and Hardwick drove a ball to center, putting the game out of reach.

Hardwick finished 3-for-5 with a double, homer, and three RBI. Bruntjens also went 3-for-5 and scored twice. LeFleche had two doubles and drove in three runs. Winling pitched the final four and two-thirds innings, giving up just two hits and no runs to earn the win.

The Norse (5-1) face the College of DuPage at 9 a.m. Wednesday, then meet up with Owens Community College at 11:30 a.m.

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