The Roland-Story Norsemen baseball team opened their 2024 season on Monday night, as they made the short trip west to take on former HOIAC rivals Gilbert at Gilbert High School in non-conference action.
Chris Hill’s squad started the night on the right foot, loading the bases in the top of the 1st and scoring runs of a Sam Knoll RBI walk and a Cooper Triggs sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead. Gilbert would answer in the bottom of the frame off a sacrifice fly by Alden Short to make it 2-1. Both pitchers settled in before the Norsemen were the beneficiaries of a prosperous 4th inning, as Gavin Jeter picked up an RBI off a sacrifice fly, followed by Sam and Jake Knoll scoring on 2 defensive errors by the Tigers, followed by an Aiden Frey RBI single to make the score 6-1.
Gilbert would get 2 runs back on a pair of RBI fielders choice’s in the bottom of the 5th. Roland-Story would pick a run back up in the top of the 7th, before Jake Knoll worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 7th to pickup the save and a 7-3 win. Brett Schmitz would pick up the win, pitching 6 innings, with 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs and 8 strikeouts.
Roland-Story returns to action on Wednesday when they host Des Moines East for a doubleheader at Norsemen Field in Story City.