LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The North Park University baseball team took on the Scots of Covenant College in a doubleheader Georgia trip on Saturday. The Vikings settled for a split, dropping the first before winning the second.

Game One  

The Vikings started their season with a 12-1 loss against the Scots in just seven innings. Senior utility man Bobby Bartlett was the game one tosser, where he surrendered two walks to open the first inning. These runners come around to score off a Mills double to left center. Bartlett, able to find his groove, retired the next 11 consecutive batters.  

The Vikings' offense was quiet until the top of the fourth when junior outfielder Alex DiVito blasted a leadoff homerun to give North Park their first run of the season. This would ultimately be the Vikings' only run of the game.

Trouble struck in the fifth inning with a leadoff triple from McCaskill turned into a run after an infield throwing error. Bartlett sat the next two batters down by means of a strikeout and a ground ball out. Then, a two out walk followed by a double and a single to bring two more runs in. Bartlett got a two out groundball but anohter infield error led to runners on first and third. Sophomore Sam Jackson was called on to get out of the jam. A hit by pitch loaded the bases followed by a single up the middle to tack on the final two runs of the inning to make the score 7-1 in favor of the Scots. Jackson got out of the inning with a swinging strikeout.

Covenant had another monster inning in the sixth, scoring 5 runs off a 3-run homer and a 2-run shot to make the score 12-1. 

Game Two

North Park came out swinging in game two. Junior shortstop Reece Arakaki started the game off with a single up the middle followed by an Alex DiVito double to right center. A wild pitch scored Arakaki and advanced DiVito to third. Justin Swanson drew a walk and Nathan Sommerfeld got him in with a triple down the left field line. A Joe Perona walk forced a Scot pitching change before Perona and Sommerfeld exectued a run-scoring double steal.

Senior right hander Kevin Ayeski took the mound for North Park in game two. After a lead-off walk, Ayeski forced three fly balls for a clean frame. 

The Vikings tacked on an extra two runs in the top of the second. DiVito shot a single up the middle followed by a Swanson hit by pitch. DiVito stole third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Then, Nate Sommerfeld knocked Swanson in with an RBI single. 

Alex DiVito found himself on base again in the fourth inning with a one out single through the right side. Swanson followed with a single to right center to give the Vikings men on first and third. Sommerfeld picked up another RBI with a sac flyl scoring DiVito. Then, Bobby Bartlett knocked in Swanson with a RBI double to left center and gave the Vikings an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning. 

Meanwhile, Ayeski was dealing, going five innings while surrendering one earned run on four hits and recording eight strikeouts to four walks. Junior Brandon Leidolph came in for relief, going three up three down in his first inning of work. 

The game turned quiet until the top of the eighth where North Park loaded the bases off a Garrett Bragg single, Arakaki walk, and a DiVito bunt single. Swanson rolled into a double play, scoring Bragg to increase the Vikings' lead to 9-1. 

Leidolph finished out the game with 4 innings, two hits, and four strikeouts en route to his save.

Quick Hits:

• Alex DiVito records a monstrous day going 6-for-8 with a homer and double while scoring four runs across the double header. 
• Justin Swanson goes 2-for-3 in both games, scoring 3 runs in game two
• Nate Sommerfeld goes 2-for-4 in game two with 3 RBIs
• Kevin Ayeski surrenders one run over 5 innings picking up 8 Ks
• Brandon Leidolph goes 4 innings of shutout relief, securing a save

What's Next?

North Park (1-1) heads to Sauget, Illinois for games with Lawrence, Heidelberg, and Concordia (IL) next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24.