BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A baseball game that saw 27 runs scored, 31 hits, and 13 different pitchers went Illinois Wesleyan's way on Saturday, as the Vikings fell to the Titans, 15-12. Earlier in the day, the Titans grabbed a 10-3 win over NPU, as Illinois Wesleyan secured the 3-seed in the conference tournament.
Game One: Titans 10, Vikings 3
Illinois Wesleyan built a four-run lead and fought off late run-scoring chances for the Vikings.
After a scoreless first three innings, a Jack Flagg RB groundout and Gage Wolfe RBI single up the middle put IWU ahead, 2-0, through four. A bunt and another RBI single extended the lead to 4-0 before the Vikings would eventually get on the board in the seventh.
Sophomore second baseman Kupono Akaka knocked in sophomore first baseman John Greenwood on an RBI single and sophomore right fielder followed suit with another single into right, plating junior catcher Reyn Matsuzaki.
Unfortunately, the Titans would pile on six runs through the eighth and an RBI groundout by Matsuzaki would be the final run scored for NPU.
Game Two: Titans 15, Vikings 12
North Park wasted no time getting on the board in the opening inning of game two in a fight for the second seed. Senior center fielder Joe Perona led off the game with a single, advanced to third on a Taylor Joseph groundout, and scored on Greenwood's sacrifice fly to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
The Vikings extended the advantage in the second. After senior third baseman Eli Johnson worked a two-out walk, junior left fielder Rylan Li drove him home with a double to right-center, just inches away from leaving the yard. Perona followed with a walk, and Joseph lined a double to right field that brought home two more runs, pushing North Park in front 4-0.
Illinois Wesleyan answered immediately in the bottom half of the second, loading the bases without an out. Gage Wolfe was hit by a pitch to force in a run, Tommy Willard drew an RBI walk, and AJ Weller delivered a two-run single to trim the deficit to 4–3.
North Park responded again in the third with another multi-run frame. Akaka singled, Marvucic lifted a sacrifice fly to score Greenwood, and Li capped the inning with a two-run single to left-center as the Vikings regained a three-run cushion.
The Titans continued to chip away, bringing in three runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run hit from Tommy Willard and an RBI groundout from Matt Hudik, knotting the game at 7–7.
The Vikings regained the lead in the fourth inning. Joseph walked and moved into scoring position, Matsuzaki doubled to right field, setting up an RBI groundout by Akaka and an RBI single from Marvucic to make it 9-7.
North Park added a run in the fifth when Johnson walked, advanced, and eventually scored on a single by Joseph. Illinois Wesleyan answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, keeping things close at 10-8.
In the sixth, the Titans surged ahead with three runs, using a combination of walks, a hit batter, and some singles to take an 11-10 lead. North Park quickly answered in the seventh when Li led off with a solo home run to left field, the first of his career, tying the game once again at 11-11 with the no-doubter.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, Illinois Wesleyan delivered the decisive blow in the bottom half of the inning. The Titans pushed four runs across, including a two-run double from AJ Weller and an RBI single from Ben Ford, to take control at 15-11.
North Park scratched across a run in the ninth when Joseph scored on a wild pitch, but that's all the Vikings could muster in their final trip to the plate, falling 15-12.
What's Next?
North Park concludes the regular season 22-17 with an 11-9 record in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play, finishing third in the conference race. The Vikings will travel to Decatur, Illinois on Wednesday, May 6, to face 6-seeded Wheaton College (16-24, 9-11). First pitch at Workman Family Baseball Field is currently TBD.
