CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park Vikings hosted the Concordia-Chicago Cougars, winning the contest 19-6 in just seven innings. The Vikings extend their double-digit scoring stretch to five games, and have scored in double figures in seven of their past eight.
Sophomore right hander Carlos Martinez opened the game for the Vikings on the mound, making quick work of the Cougars in facing just three batters.
Sophomore outfielder Joe Perona reached on a leadoff walk and picked up stolen base right away for NPU. Next, after a lineout, senior second baseman Justin Swanson scored Perona with a no doubter inside the left-field foul pole, marking his second home run of the season and first of 2024 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
The Vikings scored again in the bottom of the second, picking up four runs off two hits and two errors to go up 6-0.
Concordia answered back in the top of the third with a single up the middle, a bunt single, and another single off the glove of Martinez before North Park traded a double play ball for a run. One more single up the middle scored a second run, but the Vikings still held on to a 6-2 lead.
North Park tacked on another five runs off of five hits in the bottom of the third.
Martinez started the top of the fourth but came out after a walk, making way for sophomore Zach Price. However, four hits, including a two-run homer, and a walk made for a short appearance, bringing go-to reliever Ethan Condit to the mound. Condit recorded a strikeout in his only batter faced that inning, getting North Park out of the inning with an 11-5 lead.
The Vikings responded quickly with back-to-back three-run innings in the fourth and fifth as Condit dealt through the sixth, ending his day with six strikeouts.
Sophomore Parker Dailey got the nod for the seventh inning, allowing one run before finishing the game in seven innings - 19-6 North Park.
- Justin Swanson leads the Vikings' offense with a 3-for-4 day, plating 6 RBIs on a pair of extra-base hits
- Swanson's 25 runs are 14th in DIII
- North Park has scored runs in 18 of their past 20 innings at the plate
- North Park's 64 steals are sixth in Division III
- Ethan Raspolich goes 2-for-3, scoring 3 runs and picking up 3 RBIs
- Joe Perona with a 2-for-3 day, scoring 3 runs, picking up 2 RBIs, and stealing 2 bags
- Perona's 20 SB's currently rank second in Division III
- Carlos Martinez: 3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 K on the mound
- 2-for-2 at the plate, scoring 2 runs
- Ethan Condit earns the win, tossing 2.1 IP, 1 H, and 6 Ks
- Parker Dailey makes his first appearance of the year, throwing 1 IP surrendering 1 ER
- Concordia's Yashion Boswell was 3-for-4 while Jake Mahler was 2-for-2 with a homer
The Vikings head to River Forest, Illinois to face the Dominican University Stars this Sunday, March 4, at 1:00 pm.
