DAVENPORT, Fla. - St. Norbert College opened its annual Florida trip with a split with Elms College, getting their first win of the season in the second game of the doubleheader at Northeast Regional Park
The Green Knights (1-5) lost the first game 10-2 before winning a 18-14 slugfest in the nightcap.
In the opening game, Elms took an early 1-0 lead off a sacrifice fly in the first inning. The Green Knights then responded quickly in the bottom of the inning as a Dawson Schmidt double scored Trevor Reinhardt to tie the game at 1-1. After two scoreless innings, the Blazers scored three runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to take a 9-1 lead. Carson Krumrei pulled a run back for the Green Knights in the fifth, hitting a double that allowed pinch runner Ethan Volz to make it home. The Blazers scored one more run in the seventh to win 10-2.
Schmidt recorded the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 at the plate and recording one RBI. Jason Schorder took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.
After taking a 1-0 lead in game two, the Green Knights had to fight back from an 11-1 deficit after Elms took an 11-1 lead after two innings. Astonishingly, St. Norbert tied the game with a 10-run third inning, capped off with a Devin Geary (pictured) grand slam to tie the game. In the rally, St. Norbert had seven hits in the third. Before his grand slam, Geary had a double and scored a run before returning to the plate. Matt Perry and Krumrei both had doubles in the inning. Schmidt recorded a three RBI triple that scored Reinhardt, Geary and Will DeBruin.
Elms retook a 14-12 lead in the fifth off a two RBI home run, but the Green Knights fought back again and took a 15-14 lead in the sixth. A.J. Kisting's double scored two to tie the game before the catcher reached home later in the inning after an error by Elms. Two more doubles from Kisting and Geary in the seventh put the game out of each, as each added one more RBI to their tally, as the Green Knights pulled off an incredible 18-14 comeback for their first win of the year.
St. Norbert recorded 18 hits in the win. Geary led with four, going 4-for-6 and recording six RBIs. Schmidt went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Kisting went 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
Cooper Dykes earned the win, pitching two innings in relief and allowing two hits and two runs with two strikeouts and one walk. Jace Midbon earned the save, pitching the final two innings and allowing no hits or runs with three strikeouts.
