CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park Softball split its doubleheader with Carroll on Saturday afternoon in their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) hosted contest. The Vikings lost game one 5-1 before cracking six extra-base hits in game two for a 12-2 short-game win.
In the opener, Carroll claimed a 5-1 victory behind a complete-game effort in the circle for Makayla Wall, who fanned seven in her seventh win of 2026. North Park made an early push in the bottom of the first when senior left fielder Eden Baker reached on an error and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by senior center fielder Kayla Sapolu. After senior shortstop Kayla Lorenz singled, freshman second baseman Miabella Collazo lifted a sacrifice fly to left that allowed Baker to score and give North Park a 1-0 lead.
Carroll responded in the second inning. After a walk and a double put runners in scoring position, Jennavieve Andler lined a single up the middle to drive in a run. Kali Stanchina followed with a double down the left-field line, plating another to swing momentum to the visitors.
The turning point came in the fifth inning when Carroll added three runs. Gianna Buske doubled to start the rally, and after a walk and a pinch runner, Grace O'Connor delivered a two-run triple into right-center field. O'Connor later scored in the inning as Carroll extended its lead to 5-1. North Park threatened again in the bottom half when senior right fielder Sydney Snyder doubled and advanced to third, but the run was left stranded as Carroll closed the door.
North Park bounced back decisively in the second game, scoring early and often on its way to a 12-2 run-rule victory After Sapolu and Lorenz reached base with singles, Collazo moved both runners into scoring position with a groundout. Next, senior catcher Katie Patton drove a two-run single to right field, putting NPU ahead 2-0.
Snyder added a base hit to extend the inning and senior first baseman Kathryn Keehn capped the frame with a three-run home run to left, giving the Vikings a 5-0 start to game two.
The Vikings added to the lead in the second inning, pushing across another run before Carroll answered with two in the top half. That Viking run was a solo home run for Kayla Sapolu – the first of her collegiate career.
North Park continued to score in each of the next two innings, including a five-run fourth that stretched the margin into double digits.
After a third inning leadoff double down the left field line for Snyder and sac bunt for Keehn, junior designated player flipped a double down the left field line to push the lead to 7-2. North Park added five more runs in the fourth on three hits, including a two-run triple for Baker to push the Vikings into short-game territory.
Sophomore hurler Katelyn Meyer threw efficiently in the win, scattering four hits and two earned runs for her first win of 2026.
Top Performers
North Park
Carroll
- Grace O'Connor — Two-RBI triple in Game 1
- Gianna Buske — Multiple extra-base hits
- Kali Stanchina — RBI double in the opener
- Makayla Wall — Complete-game victory in Game 1
