DECATUR, Ill. -- The Vikings baseball team's regular season has come to an end after Saturday's double-header with the Millikin Big Blue. Despite taking the loss in both games, the Vikings' playoff spot has been secured with a conference record of 9-9, setting them up for a rematch with Millikin on Wednesday, May 10th in the CCIW Tournament.
Game 1
Game 1 against the Big Blue ended after the 7th inning, with Millikin earning victory at a score of 4-16.
North Park took an early 2-0 lead in the 1st inning after singles by Nate Sommerfeld and Alex DiVito drove in a run each, but that would be the last time the Vikings were in the driver's seat. Millikin responded in the bottom half of the inning with five runs to take control of the lead at 2-5.
The offense managed another two runs over the next two innings to keep the score close at 4-6 through the top of the 3rd. In the 2nd inning, a single by Jim Zay and a sacrifice bunt by Griffin Self set up Reece Arakaki to drive in NPU's third run with a base hit. That same situation presented itself in the next inning, though this time it was Zay getting the RBI after a single by Alex DiVito and bunt from Carlos Martinez.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Millikin's bats roared back to extend their lead to 4-11. The Vikings' offense were silent from there on out. Another big inning from the Big Blue brought the score to its final tally of 4-16, which prompted the mercy rule to be put into effect after the 7th.
Game 2
In the second game, NPU lost a 6-7 heartbreaker with Millikin walking it off in the bottom of the 9th.
A rain delay pushed first pitch an hour back, prompting HC Luke Johnson to bring Jaedon Bader out of the bullpen in place of the scheduled SP Sam Jackson. Bader kept the Big Blue off the board through two innings, setting up the Vikings to again take control of an early lead.
Jim Zay started the 3rd inning with a double to right field and Reece Arakaki followed that up with a base hit. A throwing error by Millikin let the runners advance to bring Justin Swanson up with runners in scoring position. The Vikings' star 2B came through with a single to plate both and take a 2-0 lead. NPU would double that total by the end of the inning. Bobby Bartlett made it a 3-0 game with a sac fly to score Swanson, and Carlos Martinez took the score to 4-0 with a base hit to plate Nate Sommerfeld.
Millikin got a run across the plate in the bottom of the 3rd and 5th innings to close the gap to 4-2, and they kept their odd-inning momentum going with three runs in the 7thto take their first lead of the ballgame at 4-5.
The NPU offense had one last push in the top of the 9th, getting runners to second and third base with one out and the 2-3-4 hitters making their way to the plate. From third base, Joseph Perona took off for home plate on a ground ball by DH Graham Porter, and he just beat the throw to tie the score at 5-5. With Reece Arakaki now at third, a passed ball allowed him to score as well to take back the lead at 6-5 heading into the bottom of the 9th.
However, all Millikin needed in the bottom of the 9th was a walk and one swing of the bat to secure their sweep. Cleanup hitter Andy Niebrugge, who was 2-3 to that point, rocketed a ball to right field to walk off the Vikings at a score of 6-7.
What's Next?
The CCIW Tournament rematch between these two sides will be held in Moline, IL, at host Augustana's Swanson Stadium. The #4 seeded Vikings will act as the away side to the #3 seeded Big Blue, though a time for first pitch has not yet been set for the May 10th matchup.
