Photo credit: Paige Wilcox
Chicago, Ill. – The North Park softball team is off to a 2-0 start after a doubleheader sweep over Concordia University Chicago winning 10-1 and 6-5 in their two games against the Cougars on Monday night. These games mark the first softball contests at the Holmgren Athletic Complex in 685 days as last season was cut short, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Game 1
The bats got going early for the Vikings as a sac-fly by Alyssa Aragon scored Ellie Manderfeld to get the scoring started for North Park. Soon after, Jessie Fix slapped a 2 RBI single to right field, and an error by the Cougars had the hosts rolling up 4-0 after one inning. Rachael Feazelle and Erin Penn each tacked on an RBI single of their own in the second to make the score 6-0 in favor of NPU. Fix had a double in the fourth, and single by Emily Reczek that score three in that same inning pushed the lead to nine. After starting pitcher Alyssa Malicki sent down the Concordia Chicago bats in the top of the fifth, North Park was given the nine-run victory by way of the mercy rule.
Final: North Park 10, Concordia Chicago 1
Game 2
The second game had much more dramatics as a three-run HR by Aragon seemed to put the hosts in the control as the Vikings were up 4-0 after the second inning. The Cougars responded with a four-run inning to knot the score at four. Feazelle grabbed an RBI single in the fourth to put NPU back ahead, but that was again answered by a Cougar run in the top of the fifth. As day turned into night, the score stayed deadlocked as we went into the bottom of the seventh with the score at 5-5. The first two North Park batters got out, then clutch bats came out for NPU. First, Malicki legged out an infield single, just beating out a throw to get herself on. Then, Penn swung on the first pitch of her ensuing at-bat and belted a shot off the wall in left field. Malicki sprinted all the way home from first to win the game for the Vikings.
Final: North Park 6, Concordia Chicago 5
Quick Hits:
- Jessie Fix with three RBIs and two hits on the day.
- Alyssa Malicki was lights in the first game going 5.0 IP, eight strikeouts, zero earned runs, and only four hits allowed.
- Alyssa Aragon jacked her first homerun of the season en route to a four RBI day. She also scored four times.
- Rachael Feazelle went 7.0 IP, 3 earned runs, and three strikeouts in the second game of the doubleheader.
What's Next?
North Park (2-0) will start CCIW play as they head down to Decatur, IL to take Millikin University on Saturday, March 13th in a doubleheader. Those games will start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
