CHICAGO, Ill. -- A four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from senior center fielder Joe Perona, proved decisive as North Park baseball earned a 4-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) victory over Illinois Wesleyan on Friday afternoon at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
The Vikings and Titans were locked in a scoreless duel through the first four innings as North Park starter Jackson Nuese and Illinois Wesleyan's Luke Costello matched zeroes. Nuese stranded multiple IWU runners early, including working out of traffic in the second when the Titans put two aboard with one out before being held scoreless.
North Park broke through in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, senior third baseman Eli Johnson disrupted the Titans with a two-strike liner down the right-field line for a double. Johnson later came around to score when senior designated hitter Rylan Kawakami reached on a throwing error, further extending the inning.
Moments later, senior left fielder Rylan Li singled through the right side to keep the rally alive, setting the stage for Perona. The North Park leadoff man turned on a pitch and sent it over the right-field fence for a three-run homer in his final game at Holmgren, pushing the Vikings in front 4-0.
All four runs in the inning came with two outs, as the Johnson at-bat proved pivotal.
Illinois Wesleyan continued to apply pressure throughout the middle innings, collecting hits in the fourth, fifth and seventh, but North Park pitching consistently limited damage. Nuese went seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits, striking out six, and working around three walks and a hit batter before giving way to younger brother Dawson Nuese.
The Titans finally broke through in the top of the ninth. After a leadoff walk and a passed ball moved a runner into scoring position, Gage Wolfe delivered an RBI single through the right side to plate Illinois Wesleyan's lone run. North Park reliever Ethan Condit responded by inducing a groundout to end the threat and secure the win in the Vikings' final home game of 2026.
North Park's pitching staff allowed just one earned run on five hits, striking out eight and holding Illinois Wesleyan to 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Dawson Nuese worked an inning of hitless relief while Jackson Nuese and Condit enjoyed shutout outings.
Top Performers
North Park
- Joe Perona: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB
- Eli Johnson: 1-for-3, 2B, 1 R
- Rylan Li: 2-for-3, 1 R
- Jackson Nuese: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 SO, Win
Illinois Wesleyan
- Gage Wolfe: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
- JP Ferraro: 1-for-3, 2B, 1 BB
- Luca Morelli: 2-for-4
- Luke Costello: 5.0 IP, 4 R (0 ER), 3 SO
What's Next?
North Park (22-15, 11-7 CCIW) looks to take at least one more game from the Titans (16-20, 10-8) tomorrow, May 2, in Bloomington to secure the 2-seed and the bye in the conference tournament. First pitch for game one at Horenberger Field is set for 1:00 PM CT.
