Trending
NORWAY -- The bats came alive for the North Central Jets in the second game of a doubleheader Monday night in a 13-8 baseball victory over the Norway Knights at Mike Maule Field at Marion Park.
Norway won the opener 12-2 in four innings, with four players each driving in two runs: Chase Carlson, Nolan Amundson, Brent Lagina and Carson Chartier.
Carlson and Hayden Amundson each had two hits for Norway.
"I am hoping these were the last of our cold games of the season," said Jets coach Jason Mercier. "That was brutal tonight, around 32 degrees. In Game 1, we just fell into the same late-inning funk as we have been accustomed to. A few errors multiply, and before you know it, the game escapes and is over."
"In Game 2, we attacked the ball early. Our 1-4 hitters are heating up, which is a good sign. The entire team is starting to make contact more regularly."
The Jets collected 11 hits in the nightcap, including two each by Ian Gorzinski, Wyatt Riley, Adrian Mercier and Jesse Sampson, who also drove in four runs.
Gannon Bray, however, limited the Jets to two hits in the opener. He struck out five and walked two.
"Our defense played relatively clean, and Bray was efficient on the mound in the first game," said Norway coach Tony Adams. "Offensively, we showed some patience and made better contact as the game went on. In the second game, North Central did a nice job putting the ball in play, and we had too many errors. Although, our kids did a nice job competing throughout the game."
Adrian Mercier took the win in the nightcap, striking out four, walking four and allowing four runs on five hits through four innings.
Adams sent Ian Popp and Isaac Lorenzoni to the mound in game two for the Knights. The duo combined to walk five and fan five Jets batters.
"Adrian kept the runs down," said coach Mercier. "That's all we can ask on a freezing night. He helped himself out on offense also. Adrian and Wyatt have been roping the ball and manufacturing runs."
The Jets host Bark River-Harris in a twinbill Thursday, while Norway travels to Iron Mountain this afternoon for a single game versus the rival Mountaineers.