Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

North Park won the CCIW Tournament in exciting fashion, defeating Illinois Wesleyan 8-4 in the championship game on Saturday afternoon.  The victory caps the end of a successful CCIW run, culminating in an outright championship as well as their first trip to an NCAA regional in 22 years.

The Titans won the first game, 11-5, scoring six runs in the bottom of the eighth to break open a tight contest and force the seventh and deciding game.  Wesley Mleziva (5-1) started on the hill for the Vikes and was sharp through two frames, but in the third he gave up a pair of singles and a three-run homer to Bobby Czarnowski.  In the fourth, a hit batsman, a triple, and a groundout put the Titans up 5-0.

North Park threatened in every inning against Wesleyan starter Anthony Kopp but could not break through until a four-run outburst in the fifth as Joel Bonnett and Zak Worsley each came through with two-run single to bring the Vikings to within one run.  The Titans struck big in the eighth, scoring six times on eight hits against three relievers to pull away to an 11-4 lead.  The Vikings managed a single run in the ninth when Tony Sanchez doubled home Worsley, but a popout would end the game and force a deciding contest in the double-elimination format.

Game two was a much tighter affair.  Matt Rice and Worsley opened the first with back-to-back walks and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Javech.  Joe Belmonte singled home Rice but Worsley was thrown out trying to score on a perfect throw from left fielder Mark McDermott.  Paul Garcia got the start and was very effective, holding the Titans hitless through three innings before giving up a game-tying solo home run to slugger Kevin Callahan in the fourth.  

The fifth frame proved pivotal.  With two outs, Worsley drew a walk and Javech and Sanchez both singled to put the Vikings back up 2-1.  Belmonte doubled home Javech, and Kyle Williams delivered a back-breaking two-run single just past second baseman Anthony Lopez to put North Park up 5-1.

Garcia yielded another solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to Kevin Sullivan, but the Vikings responded with a three-run outburst in the seventh to put the game away.  Singles by Worsley and Javech opened the inning, and a double by Sanchez and a triple by Belmonte accounted for the three tallies.

A one-out error in the bottom of the eighth followed by Czarnowski's second home run of the afternoon would pull the Titans to within four runs, but reliever Merrick McGrady came in to shut the door, allowing no runs on two hits over 1 2/3 innings to close out the game and make a winner of Garcia (3-3). 

“I thought Paul Garcia really stepped up today and pitched extremely well in a situation when we needed that,” said head coach Luke Johnson of Garcia's clutch performance.  “He gave up only four hits to one of the better hitting teams we've faced all year long. That's a senior pitching extremely well in an extremely big situation.” 

Johnson was understandably proud of how the team played in the tournament, particularly after dropping the first game on Saturday. 

“After game one went not so well, especially the eighth, I was very proud how they battled and came back and were aggressive.  I felt like they did everything in their power to dictate the game.  Normally we do that on the base paths, but we did it in the batter's box today.  I felt they didn't let the magnitude of that game get in the way of their approach, which is a credit to them.”

He was also quick to put this season's accomplishments to date in perspective:  “All the credit in the world needs to go to our players and our assistant coaches because they've worked very hard to replace an entire team from the 2011 season.  To do that, we've had to have multiple people in huge spots emerge, and they have.” 

The Vikings (31-12) will play North Central in Naperville on Sunday as a make-up of last Sunday's rainout.  The location of the regional will be announced on Monday.