Norse Can’t Navigate Rough Waters
KOKOMO – The lone area team left in the baseball state tournament, Northfield, couldn’t find any magic Saturday in the Kokomo Baseball Semi-state.
The Norse couldn’t hold on as Daleville got itself going late to rally for an 8-2 win in the Class 1-A northern Semi-state.
Northfield (16-14) and Daleville (20-9) were tied at 2-2 in the fourth before the Broncos took the lead with a run in the fourth then exploded for five tallies in the fifth to open game up.
The Norse, which played a pair of airtight games in the regional round with wins over South Central and Fremont, were not able to hold the Three Rivers Conference flag any longer. The Norse were just fourth in the conference standings, but gave up just three runs in three sectional wins and were riding a five-game winning streak heading into the semi-state.
Daleville take a nine-game winning streak to the Class 1-A final, where it will meet University (28-6), which beat Tecumseh 7-4 in the southern Semi-state. Daleville is seeking its second state championship, the first coming in 2016, while University is playing in its first state championship.
Elsewhere in the state tournament, the Class 4-A final will pit Fishers (28-7) against Indianapolis Cathedral (22-8-1), the 3-A final will see Andrean (30-6) versus Silver Creek (25-2), and the 2-A final will have Boone Grove (20-5) versus Southridge (25-6).