NORFOLK, Neb. – The No. 19 Northeast Community College baseball team began their final home series of the regular season Friday night against North Iowa Area Community College at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk. The Hawks took the ballgame that had almost everything in it by a final score of 12-11.
Northeast (32-18, 18-8 ICCAC) jumped out to an early 9-0 lead after three innings during the showdown that was initially delayed due to storms in the area. Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.) launched his fourth home run of the season before the Trojans came all the way back in the sixth inning to tie the contest at 10.
NIACC would eventually lead the matchup entering the bottom of the eighth frame before Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.) scored Wortman on a sacrifice fly to center field and Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.) scored on a passed ball to put the Hawks ahead for good. Caleb Lanphear (Gretna, Neb.) closed out the final three innings on the mound for Northeast and allowed just two hits and no runs to put the Hawks back in the win column.
STAT SHEET:
Brice Wallar (Papillion, Neb.): 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.): 1-2, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Caleb Lanphear (Gretna, Neb.): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K
HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:
Head Baseball Coach Marcus Clapp on taking the victory in what was a wild day:
“We’ll take the win,” Clapp said. “I didn’t like how we played. We scored twelve runs on only five hits. We had a 9-0 lead. Weird day. I mean holy cow. We got the win. We’ll come back tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”
Clapp on what his sophomores have meant to him with Sophomore Day on deck for tomorrow:
“They’ve been a big part of the program,” Clapp said. “There are a lot of wins and a lot of good things with this group. Hopefully tomorrow they are excited and ready to play knowing this will probably be the last time they will play on this field. Hopefully they are excited and we have a good showing tomorrow.”
UP NEXT:
The Hawks will hold their Sophomore Day during a doubleheader with North Iowa Area Community College beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Baseball Field in Norfolk.
