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North Park University Athletics

Sommerfeldhitelm22
11
U-Chicago UCBB 6-6
12
Winner North Park NPU 4-12
U-Chicago UCBB
6-6
11
Final
12
North Park NPU
4-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
U-Chicago UCBB 0 1 0 7 1 1 0 1 0 11 16 4
North Park NPU 2 1 0 1 4 0 1 0 3 12 9 3

W: Ledezma, Julian (2-1) L: Guyton, Matthew (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Alex Prazuch

Vikings Rally From Behind vs U-Chicago for Late Walk-Off Win

Sommerfeld nearly hits for the cycle, clobbers game-tying triple in ninth

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park baseball team battled from behind against the University of Chicago Maroons on Tuesday afternoon, completing a wild comeback finish with a walk-off steal of home plate by Nathan Sommerfeld to give NPU their first home win of the season.  

On the mound to start for North Park was right-hander Brandon Leidolph, making his mark in his Vikings debut with a quick 1-2-3 inning to set the game in motion. The NPU bats backed him up in the bottom half of the frame with 2 runs to give North Park an early 2-0 lead.  

The Maroons' offense found their rhythm in the 2nd, leading off with a double off the bat of Michael Gladden. A well-executed cutoff play from Alex DiVito and Justin Swanson helped limit the damage to just one run, though. DiVito would go on to drive in a run during the Vikings' trip to the plate with a sacrifice fly to score Joseph Perona, earning back North Park's two-run cushion.  

A quiet 3rd inning preceded a loud spark from the U-Chicago offense in the 4th, where they put up a crooked number with 7 runs. Leidolph got the first out before running into trouble, and Kevin Ayeski was left to inherit a tough situation with the bases loaded and only one out. After a walk, a grand slam, and a 2-run homer, the Maroons established a convincing 3-8 lead.  

DiVito drove in another run in the 4th with an RBI double to score Jim Zay and, although U-Chicago matched that with a run of their own in the top of the 5th, North Park's offense continued to battle back. They went on to put up 4 runs in the bottom half of the inning with two 2-run homers by Rylan Kawakami and Nathan Sommerfeld, their firsts of the season.

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With the score now at 8-9, the Vikings and Maroons traded runs in the 6th and 7thinnings to maintain the one run margin at 9-10. Another U-Chicago runner crossed the plate in the 8th to give the Maroons a 9-11 lead that held through the bottom of the 9th, setting up a dramatic conclusion to today's contest.  

Rylan Kawakami started off the inning with a HBP, later scoring on a throwing error to draw the Vikings within one run of U-Chicago. Stepping up to the plate with the game on the line, Nathan Sommerfeld followed that up with a scorched triple to left-center to score Riley Jepsen, pinch running for Zay who reached on the error.

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Alex DiVito came up with a chance at a game-winning RBI drive but he wouldn't even need to lift the bat, as a passed ball let Sommerfeld score from third base to complete the long-awaited comeback effort at a final score of NPU 12, U-Chicago 11.  

North Park's offense was led by Sommerfeld, going 3-4 with a double, triple, HR, 3 RBI, and the game-winning steal of home plate. Alex DiVito and Rylan Kawakami added 2 RBI and 1 XBH each, with Kawakami going yard for the first HR of his Vikings career. Julian Ledezma gets the nod as the winning pitcher after holding the Maroons scoreless in the top of the 9th.  


What's Next? 

The Vikings are back at it Wednesday afternoon, traveling southwest to Joliet, Ill. to take on the University of St. Francis Saints. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 P.M., though the weather forecast signals a possibility of rain that could delay or postpone the game. 


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