STORY CITY, Ia. — The Roland-Story Norsemen baseball team returned to action on Wednesday night, as they hosted the South Hardin Tigers in a non-conference doubleheader at Norsemen Field in Story City. Roland-Story entered the game at 6-0 and ranked #3, while South Hardin entered at 4-0.
South Hardin struck early in game 1, as a Preston Dolash 3-run homer put the Tigers up 3-0, but the Norsemen got on the board in the bottom of the frame off an error to make it 3-1. Cooper Triggs scored on a wild pitch in the 2nd to make it 3-2, as things would be scoreless until the 5th when South Hardin added onto their lead with an RBI single to take a 4-2 advantage. Roland-Story then roared to life in the 6th with back-to-back bases-loaded walks, followed by a Colin Willis 2-run RBI double and a Jake Knoll RBI ground out to put the Norsemen ahead 7-4, as the Tigers were retired in the 7th for a 7-4 victory.
Colin Willis was the winning pitcher, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 10 hits and striking out 11, as Reece Blaisdell picked up the 1-out save. Colin Willis would go 1-for-4 with a 2-run RBI double at the plate, while Jake Knoll went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game 2 would be a wild, back-and-forth affair, as South Hardin struck first with 2 runs off a Norsemen error, as Roland-Story responded with a 4-run 1st with a Chance Georgius RBI single, a Jake Knoll RBI single and a South Hardin error to put the Norsemen ahead 4-2. South Hardin would respond in the 3rd with a 4-run frame to take a 6-4 lead, but Roland-Story responded with a Gavin Jeter RBI single in the 5th and a Jake Knoll sac fly in the 6th to tie the game at 6-6 and eventually head to extra innings. South Hardin took the lead on an RBI single in the top of the 8th, but Roland-Story had the final say, as a Cael Faber RBI single and a game-ending error allowed the Norsemen to walk-off an 8-7, 8-inning victory.
Wyatt Ramus was the winning pitcher in relief, allowing 1 run off 3 hits and striking out 2. Jake Knoll went 1-for-3 with 3 RBI, while Cael Faber went 3-for-3 with an RBI and 2 walks.
Roland-Story baseball returns to action on Thursday, when they travel to Pocahontas Area to take on the Indians in a non-conference doubleheader at the PAC Athletic Complex, with first pitch at 5:30 PM.