Rhinelander, WI — RHINELANDER, WI – The Bay College Norse Softball Team (5-1) participated in their second tournament of the season at the Hodag Dome in Rhinelander, WI this weekend. On Thursday they dropped an 8-0 decision to the Bryant and Stratton (WI) Bobcats (1-1) before taking the nightcap against Gogebic Community College (0-4) by a score of 12-5. Bay came back on the next day and beat the Bobcats 8-7 and the Milwaukee Area Tech Stormers (2-3) by a final of 13-8. The Norse were shutdown offensively in the opener of the tournament. Bryant and Stratton's Sydney Birling (SO, Appleton, WI) pitched a one-hit shutout, striking out ten and walking no one. A three-run second broke the game open for the Bobcats. They ended up with eight runs on nine hits and drew seven walks. Rachael Winkel (FR, Silvis, IL) took the loss. All eight runs were earned and credited to her in four and one-third innings of work. She struck out four and walked seven. Bay's offense was relentless in the second game and would score a run in every inning. Ellie Miller ended her day with a five for five effort at the plate and had one RBI. Kristin Goodacre (SO, Rapid River, MI) went four for four from the plate with two RBI. Sarah Wynn (SO, Pitt Meadows, BC) smacked three doubles in five at bats and had two RBI in the leadoff spot. CC Pilon (FR, Rapid River, MI) was three for four with two RBI. Natalie Belanger (FR, Rapid River, MI) got the win from the pitcher's circle. In a complete game seven-inning effort she struck out five, walked five, and gave up seven hits. Two of the five runs she surrendered were earned. Friday's rematch with the Bobcats took on a much different tone. After the Norse grabbed a three-run lead after three innings. Bryant and Stratton responded with a five-spot in the fourth, powered by a two-run homerun off the bat of Rayne Conroy-Hubbard (FR, West Allis, WI). Miller responded with a solo shot to lead off the bottom half of the inning, cutting the lead to one. After trading unearned runs, Pilon tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth. In the eighth the Bobcats got a run in the top half after an error by Bay. The Norse loaded the bases in the bottom half with no one out. McKenna Bullen (FR, Escanaba, MI) laced a single to left to tie it and the Norse scored the winning run as the fielder misplayed the ball. Wynn and Bullen each collected two hits in the game. Winkel picked up the win in relief, pitching four and one third and giving up one unearned run on four hits and three walks, while striking out one. Karlie Patron (SO, Ishpeming, MI) started the game and was chased in the fourth. Two of the five runs scored on her were earned, as she gave up four hits and walked just one. The Norse would see a lead evaporate in the finale again. After going up 4-1 in the early going the Stormers scored three in the third and four in the fourth. A big five run sixth was the key for Bay as they would have six consecutive batters reach safely, allowing them to break the game open. Bullen completed her big day with a three for four effort. That included a triple and four RBI. Wynn ended up with two hits in four at bats. She scored two runs. Norse pitching allowed just four hits in the contest. Belanger was credited with the win in relief. She walked two, gave up one hit, and struck out one in three and two thirds scoreless innings. Jamison Ness (FR, Edmonton, AB) battled control issues in her start, walking eight. She gave up just four hits and struck out one. Five of the eight runs were earned. The Norse will continue their season with their spring break trip. They will travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and begin play on Saturday. They take on Catawba Valley Community College and Rochester Community and Technical College to start the week-long slate of games.