(ST. NORBERT COMMUNICATIONS) MELBOURNE, Fla. – St. Norbert College fought in two tough contests in the penultimate day at the Space Coast Games, falling to UMass Boston 10-6 before rallying to a 9-8 walk-off win in extra innings over Western Connecticut State in two non-conference games.
The Green Knights (6-6) defeated the Wolves for a second time this week in the eighth inning with the bases loaded, as an Ava Engwall (pictured) single brought home Molly Reichenberger for a dramatic victory.
St. Norbert opened the day trailing 2-0 to UMass Boston in the second inning. The Green Knights responded with three one-run singles from Grendel Sprong, Morgan Jarvi and Emma Schmidt to take a 3-2 lead. The Beacons eventually regained a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but the tug-of-war continued with St. Norbert scoring on an error in the bottom of the inning. An Engwall single scored Sophia Nieckula in the sixth while Reichenberger scored on a second error by the Beacons.
Six runs from UMass Boston eventually doomed the Green Knights in the seventh inning.
Schmidt led the Green Knights with two hits and an RBI. Alyson Clarke took the loss, pitching 1.2 innings with one strikeout and allowing four runs on two hits.
St. Norbert again trailed early to Western Connecticut State in the first inning, but tied the game when Elly Kirst scored on a bunt. Nieckula scored on a Reichenberger triple in the second to make it 2-1 while a 3 RBI triple from Sprong in the fourth made it 6-1.
The Wolves fought back with six runs in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead. St. Norbert was able to extend the game to an extra inning on a Morgan Hansel single to score Aiva Champeau to make it 7-7. The Wolves took the lead with one run in the eighth, but the Green Knights tied the game again on an error. With the bases eventually loaded, Engwall hit the walk-off single to hand St. Norbert the hard-fought win.
Hansel led St. Norbert going 4-for-4 with an RBI, while Kirst, Reichenberger and Engwall each having three hits. Amber Johanek earned her first win of the season, pitching 1.2 innings in relief.
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