SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – In a triumphant return to intercollegiate play, just one day short of a year since the 2020 spring was canceled, the North Park University baseball team picked up a pair of wins over Dominican University (14-2, 8-1). The Vikings scored 22 runs in their first two of four games scheduled against the Stars.

Game One: Vikings win 14-2

Familiar faces got the scoring started right away as senior center fielder Jared Cantu singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on senior shortstop Jake Reinhardt's single. Next senior third baseman Ranko Stevanovic plated Reinhardt on a double down the right-field line, giving North Park a 2-0 lead.

The Vikings marked one run each in the second and third innings - junior right fielder Logan Peters drove in junior catcher Nick Cecchi with a single in the second and Stevanovic scored on a fielder's choice in the third.

Senior right hander Ethan Sund had the opening day start for North Park and was dominant in four innings of work, striking out seven batters (including the first five he saw) while allowing just one hit.

After a scoreless fourth inning, one swing brought home four runners in the fifth inning. To lead off the big inning, Peters dropped down a bunt single and Reinhardt followed suit with a single to center field. Next, Stevanovic drew a walk to load the bases for senior designated hitter Justin Woolbright. Woolbright drove the 1-1 fastball into the wind and over the left field wall for the first homer of the year in grand fashion.

North Park marked one run in the eighth inning on an RBI single off the bat of Peters, scoring Cantu, and added five more runs in the ninth inning for good measure. Stevanovic led the ninth inning off with another double down the right-field line, Woolbright was hit by a pitch, and the pair moved up on a Davis single into right field. Next, Cecchi drew a bases loaded walk, freshman second baseman Justin Swanson drove a two-run single into center field, Cantu tacked on an RBI single, and Peters scored on a wild pitch.

Woolbright, who relieved Sund in the fifth inning, picked up the win as the Stars were only able to manufacture two late-game runs.

FINAL: North Park 14, Dominican 2

Game Two: Vikings win 8-1

Junior Tyler Banks got the ball to start the second game of the doubleheader and did a great job of keeping the Stars off balance. The hard-throwing right hander allowed just one hit in his first four innings of work as he waited for his offense to come back to life. The Vikings did, and then some, in their half of the fourth inning.

Sophomore designated hitter Bobby Bartlett doubled down the left-field line and moved to third on a Woolbright single. Next, senior left fielder Brandon Davis reached first base safely after the batted ball ricocheted off the pitcher's foot to score Bartlett. Senior second baseman brought Woolbright home on a single to right field and a single by Peters plated Davis. The Vikings marked their fifth and final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Reinhardt, as North Park grabbed a 5-0 lead.

The Vikings scored three more runs in the seventh after Reinhardt doubled, Stevanovic reached on an error, and Bartlett dropped down bunt single. To score the three base runners, Woolbright drew a walk while Davis and Cecchi tallied a pair of sacrifice flys. 

North Park added one more run in the eighth inning when Cantu singled and promptly swiped second base before Peters ripped his fifth hit of the day, an RBI single, into center field.

Bartlett, who relieved Banks in the sixth inning, scattered five hits and one run in his four innings of work, as the Vikings earned a convincing 8-1 win.

FINAL: North Park 8, Dominican 1

Quick Hits:

• Five hits and four RBI for Logan Peters
• Four hits each for Reinhardt, Stevanovic, Davis, Bartlett, and Cantu
• Reinhardt and Stevanovic also had two extra-base hits each
• Woolbright drove in five runners, thanks to his game one grand slam
• Starters Ethan Sund and Tyler Banks combined for nine innings and 14 K's in each of their first starts of the season
• Bartlett and Woolbright struck out four and three batters, respectively

What's Next?

North Park (2-0) stays in Schaumburg, Ill. for two more games against Dominican tomorrow, March 13. First pitch at Wintrust Field is set to be thrown at noon.