CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park baseball team split a doubleheader with the Millikin Big Blue on Saturday afternoon, dropping game one 7-2 before winning game two 8-7.
Millikin pounded out 13 hits while holding North Park to just five in game one. Big Blue starter Tanner Coleman can be credited for a bulk of the NPU problems; he tossed eight innings and allowed just four hits, no earned runs, while striking out three.
Frank Kalemba pitched well for NPU in game one, working four innings and surrendering five hits. However, the Big Blue ran away with a 7-2 win.
North Park got back into their groove in game two. To put a cherry on top of a quality effort at the plate, the Vikings also saw the return of hard-throwing right hander Tyler Banks.
Banks tossed three innings and gave up just one hit, striking out two batters in his return. The lone two runs scored off him in the first inning were due to some shaky fielding, but North Park would get those back and then some.
The Big Blue got two quick outs before the Vikings began to put a charge in the ball. This started with a screaming line drive of a home run off the bat of Justin Swanson, followed by a Ranko Stevanovic double. After Zach Lingk and Jim Zay drew walks, Cole Fiorenza brought the pair home with a hard single through the left side of the infield. Alex DiVito capped the first inning scoring with an infield single, as NPU led earl, 4-2.
The Vikings tacked on three more runs in the second inning. Nathan Sommerfeld reached on an unconventional popup single before scoring on another double off the bat of Stevanovic. Following a pitching change, Lingk singled down the right field line and promptly stole second. A Zay liner into center would score both runners, as North Park held a 7-2 advantage just two innings in.
Millikin chipped away with three runs in the fourth inning and one in the top of the sixth before the Vikings added another run in their half of the sixth on a opposite field homer from Stevanovic.
In the ninth, after adding another run in the eight on an RBI single, the Big Blue threatened once more. Garrett Fritz reached on a single to left field against relief pitcher Julian Ledezma. Next, a sac bunt moved pinch runner Griebler into scoring position. In one of the biggest moments of the game, Millikin's Lucas Ryan ripped a single into right field that looked like it may tie the game. However, right fielder Carson Blatchford had different ideas as he uncorked a perfect throw to home plate, nabbing Griebler by a good 10 feet.
Ledezma got the final out of the game with a grounder to second as North Park held on for a 8-7 win.
Quick Hits, Game 2:
- Banks returns, Bobby Bartlett gets his first win of the season, Ledezma with his first save
- Ledezma works 1.2 innings, allowing just three hits
- Stevanovic supplies the power – two doubles and a homer
- Swanson added a homer in his first at-bat
What's Next?
North Park (8-13, 2-1 CCIW) completes the three-game series with the Big Blue tomorrow, April 10. First pitch at Workman Family Field is scheduled for 4pm.
