Bay College Softball Team Loses Two Close Games

TITUSVILLE, Fla.—The Bay College Norse got their wake-up call Sunday evening as they battled the Community College of Rhode Island Knights as the second day of their Florida trip came to a close.

Unfortunately for the Norse, the wake-up call came a little bit too late.

The Norse fell behind by six runs in the first inning before battling back twice late in the game. The Knights held on to post a 9-7 win to drop Bay to 0-4 on the trip.

Earlier in the day, Bay also put on a late rally against the Macomb Community College (Mich.) Monarchs, erasing a 5-2 deficit to tie the game, only to see the Monarchs win in walk-off fashion, 6-5.

“As much as I want to talk about their character, which is phenomenal, and their abilities, which are phenomenal, I hate losing,” Bay Coach Heidi Charon said. “Anyone who plays sports does. We can believe in them and their abilities, but they have to believe in themselves. They’re just a little too hesitant right now."

"A little too doubtful of themselves. And so they’ve just got to figure it out, and they’re starting to.”

In the first game of the day, it was an all-Michigan battle in the sunny 70-degree Florida weather. Rapid River graduate Brittany Schwartz got the scoring started with a long solo home run in the second inning for the Norse, and freshman Lexi Chaillier of Escanaba followed with a solo home run in the third inning to make it a 2-0 game.

The Monarchs battled back with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Taylor Jones smacked a bases-loaded double to make it 2-2. Then in the fourth inning, Macomb put on a two-out rally with back-to-back-to-back RBI hits by Arien Ludwig, Elizabeth Townsend, and Gabby Parrish.

Chaillier’s speed became a factor in the fifth inning when she led off with a double up the center field gap. As she stole third base, the rushed throw went into the outfield, and she scored to make it 5-3.

Then in the sixth inning, Letteriello got a one-out base hit and with two out, Chaillier crushed another long home run to center field, tying the game at 5-5.

Kaitlyn Hardwick and Griffin followed with back-to-back hits, but Richelle Vandeville grounded out to end the inning, and it stayed tied at 5-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, it looked like extra innings were coming when Oswald retired the first two batters she faced. But Erin Davis singled, Jenna Casey walked, and Elisabeth Westrick followed with a two-strike single that hit off the front of the pitcher’s circle and hopped high into the air into the outfield.

Oswald took the loss, allowing six runs on eleven hits. She walked four and struck out one. Chaillier ended up 4-for-4 at the dish, with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Vandeville also gad two hits in a losing effort.

The Norse found themselves behind the eight-ball in the first inning of the next game, as the Knights scored six runs in the top of the first inning, chasing Brittany Schwartz out of the circle.

Bay got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Chaillier singled, stole second, and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Griffin.

After the Knights scored once in the second inning without a base hit, the Norse got two runs in the bottom of the third inning as Hardwick smacked a single to bring home Oswald and Chaillier.

CCRI opened up a six-run lead in the sixth inning when Braelyn Beffre launched a two-run homer, the only extra base hit Oswald would allow in her second appearance of the day.

The Norse weren’t done. They started to hit, one after another, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Letteriello smacked a two-run double, then two Eskymos, Georgia Lehto and Heather Bergstrom followed with back-to-back run-scoring doubles to make it 9-7.

But Knights pitcher Dayna Jackrony was able to get out of trouble when Chaillier sharply sent one toward the outfield. Shortstop Emily McNeil stabbed the ball and threw Chaillier out.

The Norse still weren’t done. In the bottom of the seventh, Hardwick smoked a double to the fence, and with one out, Vandeville followed with a double. Hardwick was held at third base, and the Norse had the tying run in scoring position with one out.

Tatiana LaFave was called on to bat in the big spot because Letteriello left the game with an injury, and she battled the count to 2-2 before popping up.

With two out, Korey Kaukola sent a long fly ball to left field that could have at least tied the game. Knights left fielder Hannah Northup reached back and caught it, crashing into the fence and hanging on, to end the game.

“They had great defense,” Charon said of the Knights. “The best we’ve seen so far. Give the credit to them.”

Schwartz took the loss, with Oswald turning in 6 1/3 innings of solid relief.

“She definitely pulled through and it was fun to see because she got stronger at the end of the game,” Charon said. “She was striking them out and getting ahead in the count, which we need to see more of earlier in the game.”

Bay College (1-5 overall) will try to crack the win column for the first time on the trip on Monday with a tripleheader against Itasca (Minn.) Community College, St. Cloud (Minn.) Technical College, and a rematch against Macomb. The action starts at 10:30 Monday morning in Titusville.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Brad Landis, and hear Charon’s post-game comments.