NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College baseball team returned to Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk Wednesday for a doubleheader with Ellsworth Community College. The Hawks swept the Panthers by final scores of 7-3 and 15-3 to improve to 6-1 in conference play.
Northeast (19-11, 6-1 ICCAC) received votes in the latest NJCAA Baseball Poll this week and backed that honor up with a huge afternoon both at the plate and on the mound Wednesday. Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.) stayed hot at the plate as the freshman doubled twice and homered in Game 1. Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.) was efficient as the Hawks starter as the sophomore tossed five innings and recorded nine strikeouts.
Jensen didn’t stop in Game 2 as he launched another home run and tallied four RBIs in the nightcap. Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.) had four RBIs of his own in the second showdown of the day and Matthew Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.) struck out five Ellsworth batters to give Northeast their 13th victory in their last 15 matchups.
STAT SHEET GAME 1:
Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.): 3-3, HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB
Jack Borgmann (Norfolk, Neb.): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.): 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 9 K
STAT SHEET GAME 2:
Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.): 3-5 HR, R, 4 RBI
Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.): 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB
Matthew Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 K
HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:
Head Baseball Coach Marcus Clapp on what went right in today’s sweep:
“Obviously, we swung the bats well,” Clapp said. “We had back-to-back big innings that set the tone in Game 2. I thought Nick Vilims settled in after the first inning there. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. When we play our style and don’t give them free bases and errors, then we are ok. It was good to jump on them early in that second game. Nine innings are always tough, so to get a lead like that made it nice for us to have that cushion.”
Clapp on battling another ranked squad in No. 9 Kirkwood this weekend:
“I don’t care who we’re playing,” Clapp said. “I’ve always said that. If we do what we’re capable of and stick with our game plan, we can compete with anyone. It’s never that we’re up for one game more than another. In this conference, if you do that you’ll get in trouble. It’s an opportunity obviously for us to make another statement, but we’re going to worry about ourselves and handle our own business.”
UP NEXT:
The Hawks will stay home this weekend and will begin a three-game series with Kirkwood Community College at 1 p.m. Friday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk in a doubleheader.
