Jun 17, 2025
Norway first baseman Landon Ross, top, looks to the umpire while applying a tag on a Portland St. Patrick baserunner on Friday at McLane Stadium at Michigan State University in East Lansing during the MHSAA Division 4 baseball semifinals. (Daily News photo by Sean Chase)
EAST LANSING — Entering the top of the seventh inning trailing Portland St. Patrick 7-0, the Norway baseball team needed to make something happen on Friday at Michigan State University’s McLane Stadium.
However, the Knights couldn’t muster any runs against the Shamrocks (33-1) as their season ended in the MHSAA Division 4 baseball semifinals.
Norway finishes the season with a record of 28-5-1.
“It hurts now, but in the long run, there are teams that move things,” Knights head coach Tony Adams said. “The first team (two years ago) made it to the quarter(final)s and then we broke through last year.
“And they backed it up this year. We’ve shown people back home, we can get here.”
Portland St. Patrick starting pitcher Brady Leonard (12-0) picked up the win. He pitched seven scoreless innings while striking out five.
Norway hadn’t struggled to score all season, but it couldn’t find an answer for Leonard.
“(Leonard) was really good, but we hit a lot of balls at people,” the Knights’ Cole Baij said. “That happened to us against North Dickinson, too.
“This was a better team today and I think that was the problem. We couldn’t break through and get that one run we needed.”
Baij (12-3), who shared honors as Skyline Central Conference Player of the Year, started on the mound. He recorded five strikeouts in five innings.
Norway moved runners to the corners in the bottom of the first. However, a base running error ended a chance to score.
The Shamrocks took advantage, scoring a run in the bottom of the first off an error.
“I just try to calm everyone down,” Norway senior Landon Amundson said. “Usually, it’s just one run and we don’t need to get down on ourselves because one error will lead to the next. We were just trying to stay calm and play our game.”
The Knights rallied defensively and found their rhythm. However, with repeated bunts Portland St. Patrick added three runs off of errors in the third to grab a 4-0 advantage.
The Shamrocks added a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Junior Owen Baij, the Skyline Central Offensive Player of the Year, led Norway with two hits. Senior A.J. Gallino also recorded a hit while junior Cameron Varda had a walk.
Over the past two seasons, the Knights posted a 56-9 record, including back-to-back trips to the state tournament.
Today American Legion baseball Post 44 Reds at Menominee (doubleheader), 6 p.m. EDT Wednesday Youth …
NEGAUNEE — The Iron Range Women’s Softball League featured a pair of one-run decisions on Wednesday, one in …
IRONWOOD — Playing with the lead worked to Northern Wisconsin’s advantage here Thursday night in a 99-79 …
Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Michigan, Inc. | https://www.miningjournal.net | 249 W. Washington, Marquette, MI 49855 | 906-228-2500
