WHITEWATER, Wis. - Carroll University (4-10, 0-0 CCIW) dropped a pair of close games to St. Norbert (7-4, 0-0 MWC) on Friday afternoon 6-4 in the opener and 2-1 in the nightcap.
Carroll would open the scoring with a run in the top of the opening frame as freshman Nolan Heck would drive in Matt Putman to give the Pios the early 1-0 advantage.
St. Norbert would post three runs in the bottom of the second on three hits and a fielding error to take the 3-1 lead.
The Pioneers would even the score in the top of the fourth as Heck would single to lead off the inning and score on a double from Freshman Dylan Callahan. Callahan would then score on a Jacob Horner single to knot the game 3-3.
A lead off double for St. Norbert to lead off the bottom of the fourth would come around to score and give the Green Knights the 4-3 lead.
St. Norbert would add a pair of runs in the seventh to push the lead to 6-3.
Carroll would threaten in the ninth inning, Brady Druni and Putman would both single with one out in the inning. Durni would score on a balk to cut the deficit to 6-4 with a runner at second, but a strike out would end the rally.
Game two would be a pitchers dual that saw great defensive plays keep the game scoreless through four and a half innings.
Sophomore Sam Harmeyer would spark the Pio offense, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double. Harmeyer would advance on a ground out and eventually score on a Durni ground out that was misplayed by the St. Norbert second baseman to give Carroll the 1-0 lead.
The game would remain 1-0 until the top of the eighth inning. St. Norbert would push across the tying run on a suicide squeeze to knot the game at 1-1.
With two outs and nobody on base in the top of the ninth inning, St. Norbert would get a two out hit, steal second and come around to score the go-ahead run and take the 2-1 lead.
Carroll would get runners to first and second in the bottom half of the ninth, but would strand both runners as they would drop game two 2-1.
Junior Carter Howard was brilliant on the mound for the Pioneers, working seven scoreless innings scattering eight hits.
Carroll will return to action as they open CCIW play when they host Carthage College on Tuesday at 3pm.
