WELLS — For a while, it appeared the Bay College Norse were ready to snap a lengthy losing streak here Friday.

It didn’t go that way, however, as they dropped a 7-1 baseball decision to Dakota County (Minn.) Technical College in the second game of a doubleheader.

Dakota County (11-8), which also won the opener 19-2 in five innings, holds a 2-0 lead in the NJCAA Region 13 play-in series.

The teams return to the Wells Township Field for Game 3 today at 1. Another game follows at 3:30 but doesn’t count toward the series.

Bay (2-20), which has dropped 19 straight, opened the scoring on a single to leftfield by Davin Ibn Erza in the third inning of Friday’s nightcap.

Dakota County’s Brock Goelz scored the tying run from second base in the fifth when a pop-up by Kirby Pierri dropped between the pitcher’s mound and third.

Mitch Goodwin then drilled a two-run double to right to put the Blue Knights up by two, and a single to left by winning pitcher Ben Goelz gave them a 4-1 lead.

“A game can turn fast at the college level,” said Bay coach Mike Pankow. “If you give a team a break like that, they’re going to take it and run with it. We’re a talented team, but we’re playing real young.

“We needed to score more runs, and it just didn’t happen. The guys will get there. Only, it’s taking a little longer than we wanted it to.”

The Blue Knights then sealed the deal by scoring three times in the seventh.

“Their pitcher (Jackson Bower) did a good job attacking our hitters,” said Dakota County coach Matt Erzar. “He was mixing his speeds well. I think our guys got finally got patient enough to take what he was giving us. Getting that pop-up to fall (in the fifth) was huge. Our runner from second kept coming hard, and that got us going. We did pretty well in the first game. When that happens, it sometimes takes a little while to get going again.”

Bower, who pitched six innings, took the loss. He struck out three, walked none, hit a batter and allowed six runs on six hits.

“It makes a difference when you throw strikes,” said Pankow. “Jack pitched well. He gave us a chance to win, but we stranded nine baserunners which didn’t help any.”

Ben Goelz worked five innings, striking out nine, walking three, hitting a batter and giving up a run on five hits.

“Our starter pitched well enough to get out of jams, then our reliever shut the door by throwing strikes,” said Erzar.

The Blue Knights finished with seven hits, led by Pierri and Ben Goelz with two apiece. Tanner Halvorson had two of Bay’s five hits. Both teams committed two errors.

Twelve walks and four hit batsmen by several pitchers led to Bay’s downfall in the opener.

Goodwin blasted a three-run homer and finished with five RBIs for the Blue Knights, who scored 10 times in the third for a 17-1 advantage.

Halvorson clubbed a solo shot to right in the fourth. The Norse collected six hits, including two apiece by Halvorson and Carson Shea.

Bay’s Abel Rodriguez suffered an ankle late in the first game and was unable to play in the second.

“Abel has had a good season,” said Pankow. “When he went down, it took the wind out of our sails at first. Although, I thought the guys handled the situation real well.”