Pics by Eddie Faican

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Vikings softball team hosted Alma College and the University of Chicago on Sunday afternoon for a round robin tri-match. North Park walked away with a 1-1 split, winning Game 1 against the Alma Scots before dropping the second matchup against the Maroons. 

Game 1 vs. Alma 

The NPU bats provided SP Maya Lafnear with some early support in Game 1, tallying a run in the bottom of the 1^st to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Eden Baker started things off with a single, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Isa Santos before scoring on a base hit by Emily Reczek.  

The Vikings found themselves trailing 1-3 by the time they took their third trip to the plate. Baker again provided North Park a spark with a triple to left center field, and HC Katie Anderson opted to go with a small ball approach to ensure Baker's run crossed the plate. Bunts by Santos and Reczek, as well as steals by Santos and Kayla Lorenz, led the Vikings to tie the score at 3-3.  

North Park carried that momentum into the 4^th inning., plating another two runs and taking a 5-3 lead. This time, it was Kayla Sapolu starting the rally with a base hit, soon followed by Baker who marked her third hit of the game in as many at bats. After placing key bunts in her last two plate appearances, Isa Santos came through with the Vikings' third base hit of the inning to score both Sapolu and Baker and establish a slight cushion heading into the 5^th.  

Maya Lafnear took the reigns of the game for the rest of the way, allowing just one more run to maintain NPU's lead and eventually take home the 5-4 victory. Lafnear's final line as the wining pitcher read 7.0 IP, 4 ER, and 3 Ks in a complete game. Offensively, Eden Baker's 3 hits and 1 XBH both led the team, with Isa Santos as the only other Viking to record a multi-hit game. Santos and Emily Reczek led NPU with 2 RBI each to produce 4 of North Park's 5 runs.  

Game 2 vs. U-Chicago 

The Maroons' Delaney Romanchick had every answer for the North Park offense in Game 2, carrying a no-hitter through 5 innings and leading her team to an 0-7 victory over the Vikings. NPU only managed one hit throughout the contest—a triple from the Vikings' Game 2 SP Alyssa Malicki. Despite the loss, North Park's split on the day means they've won five of their last seven games and improved to 8-11-1 on the season.  

What's Next? 

The Vikings get a few days off before heading to River Forest for a double-header with the Concordia University Cougars on Wednesday, April 5^th. The games will be a make-up of the postponed March 22^nd contests, with first pitch in Game 1 scheduled for 3:00 P.M.