NORWAY — The Norway Knights and the Escanaba Eskymos hooked up in a terrific game Thursday with excellent pitching and clean defense on both sides.

In the end, the Eskymos sent the Knights to their first loss of the season by breaking a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the sixth to post the 2-0 win.

Owen Baij started for Norway (5-1) and threw five innings of two-hit baseball. He walked just two and struck out nine. Cameron Varda came on in the sixth and allowed three hits and two runs to absorb the loss.

“Another close one with Escanaba,” Norway coach Tony Adams said. “Pitching on both sides was really good today and we missed a couple of opportunities offensively and they didn’t in the sixth.”

Knights left nine runners stranded in the contest and Escanaba left on five.

Varda and Landon Amundsen each went 2 for 4 to lead Norway’s six-hit attack. Cole Baij and Landon Ross each recorded a single, while Ross drew two walks.

“We did a lot of things well, and yesterday (a 7-2 win over Gladstone) and today felt like tournament games, which is what we need,” Adams said.

Cavaliers 9,

Badgers 2

NIAGARA, Wis. — St. Thomas Aquinas Academy exploded for eight runs in the top of the fourth en route to a 9-2 victory Thursday over host Niagara.

The Badgers plated single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

TJ Beard stroked two of Niagara’s three hits and added an RBI and a run scored. AJ Sweig notched the other RBI, while Brandon Wieland scored the Badgers’ other run.

Remi Buchanan recorded Niagara’s other hit, a single.

Eastan Holmes got the start for the Badgers and pitched into the fourth inning. He gave up eight hits and five earned runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

Sweig threw the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one unearned run with three walks and four strikeouts.

“We are off to a rough start to the season,” Niagara coach Brad Richtig said. “The bright side is the kids have not given up in any game so far. It’s usually one bad inning that gets us. Other than that, we are right in every game.”