CHICAGO, Ill. -- Conference play begins a new season and North Park Softball proved that on Tuesday afternoon. The Vikings swept the Carthage Firebirds at the Holmgren Athletic Complex with scores of 4-3 and 6-0.
Game 1: North Park 4, Carthage 3
The Firebirds marked one run each in the first and second innings off Viking starter Gabby Gonzalez-Villegas with a sac fly in the first by Maddy Conway and an RBI double by Abby Wierzbicki in the second. However, the freshman settled in nicely, tossing three-straight shutout innings from the third through the sixth.
North Park tied things up in the third.
Sophomore outfielder Kayla Sapolu legged out an infield single to third before sophomore first baseman Maya Lafnear executed a sac bunt to move Sapolu to second. Next, hacking at the first pitch, sophomore shortstop Kayla Lorenz cracked a triple to the top of the left-center field wall, cutting the Carthage lead to 2-1. Sophomore catcher Katie Patton tied the game up in the next at-bat, lifting a sac fly to center to allow Lorenz to score easily, tying the game 2-2.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth innings were scoreless before Izzy Hernandez cracked a go-ahead homer for Carthage in the first at-bat of the top of the seventh. Carthage would get runners in scoring position after the homer, but Gonzalez-Villegas gave the Vikings a chance after snagging a liner and forcing a popout.
Freshman Dora Cihocki battled in a full count, fouling a couple pitches off, before drawing a walk to reach base in the Vikings' half of the seventh. Next, when senior Isa Santos came in to pinch run, a fielder's choice forced her out at second. In one of her biggest knocks of the season, Lafnear would pepper a double down the right-field line, putting her and Sapolu in scoring position.
Chaos would ensue for the final play of the game. Lorenz skipped a grounder to the Carthage shortstop, whose errant throw home allowed both Lafnear and Sapolu to score, giving the Vikings a 4-3 walkoff win.
Game 2: North Park 6, Carthage 0
Lafnear pitched a gem in game two. The sophomore threw a seven-inning shutout and allowed just three hits, all singles, to grab a win in her CCIW-opening start.
The North Park offense scored in steady bursts, scoring a pair of runs right away in the first inning.
Sophomore outfielder Eden Baker drew a walk to begin the game before Lafnear drove a full-count single into left. Next, Lorenz drove in the first run of the game when a liner too hot to handle ended up in left field, scoring Baker.
Sophomore designated player Salyssa Garcia added the second run of the inning on a double to right, bringing in Lafnear.
North Park added one run each in both the third and fourth innings on a sac fly by Garcia and RBI triple to center from Baker. The Vikings capped their scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh when Garcia singled in Lorenz and Cihocki singled in freshman pinch runner Bella Frohwirth.
Meanwhile, to support Lafnear's shutout, the Viking infield turned three double plays in game two.
North Park (6-12, 2-0 CCIW) continues a stretch of six-straight CCIW home games on Friday, April 12, with a pair of games against Augustana. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
