BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Vikings Softball has advanced to Day 2 of the 2023 CCIW Tournament after today's split, spurred by a comeback 3-1 win in extra innings against the Elmhurst Blue Jays. NPU would go on to lose their second matchup of the day to the Millikin Big Blue by a score of 1-9, but the triumph over Elmhurst does enough to buy the Vikings another shot tomorrow when the CCIW Tournament resumes. Alongside that, the Game 1 win also marks North Park Softball's first postseason victory dating back to 1986 in the since disbanded Chicago Metro Conference.
Game 1 vs. Elmhurst
With Alyssa Malicki in the circle for North Park's playoff premiere, the Vikings found themselves trailing 0-1 early after Elmhurst's Jackie Orel scored on a base hit by Bailey Proffitt in the 2nd inning. Malicki found her rhythm from there on out, retiring 15 of her next 21 batters faced, but NPU's offense still had yet to produce a run to that late stage in the ballgame.
Impending was the bottom of the 7th inning, and with it the Vikings' last chance to avoid going one-and-done in the postseason. North Park had totaled just three hits to that point in the game—a number that held up after their first two batters of the 7th inning struck out swinging. Down to their last out, Eden Baker soon changed that with a clutch game-tying home run to right field to bring the score to 1-1.
Malicki allowed a leadoff walk to start the 8th before striking out the next Blue Jays batter. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner over to second base, though Malicki brought the Vikings back up to the plate with her second strikeout of the inning. Kayla Lorenz started the bottom half of the 8th off with a single to bring up Emily Reczek, and on the first pitch she saw, the senior slugger sent a ball deep to straightaway center field to walk-off the Blue Jays and secure the Vikings' advancement to Day 2 of the postseason.
Game 2 vs. Millikin
After earning victory in the must-win Game 1, North Park struggled against the #2 seeded Millikin Big Blue for a 1-9 loss in Game 2. The Vikings briefly held the lead in the 2nd inning thanks to a single by Emily Reczek, a double by Maddy Tan, and then an RBI by Katie Patton, but Millikin would go unanswered for the rest of the game on their way to the win.
What's Next?
Tomorrow on May 12th, North Park sets Day 2 of the CCIW Tournament in motion when they take on the #4 seeded Augustana Vikings at 1:00 P.M.
