DECATUR, Ill. -- North Park and Millikin split a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader on Sunday, with the Vikings taking Game 1, 7–-, before the Big Blue won Game 2, 5-1. The Vikings cracked 19 hits in game one, a season second-best, to hand Millikin just its fourth conference loss.
Game 1 — North Park 7, Millikin 5
North Park opened the day by putting four-straight balls in play for hits in the first inning. Senior shortstop Kayla Lorenz and sophomore second baseman Miabella Collazo singled to start the rally, senior catcher Katie Patton followed with an RBI single to center to score Lorenz, and senior first baseman Kathryn Keehn added another RBI single up the middle to bring home Collazo for a 2-0 lead.
The Vikings made it 3-0 in the second when senior left fielder Eden Baker feigned a bunt before pulling back to drove a solo home run to right field.
Millikin countered with some knocks for extra bases. In the fourth, Abbey Matthews doubled to left-center to drive in a run. In the fifth, Ann Marie Meek tripled down the right-field line to plate Abby Willis, and Summer Wynn doubled to center to score Meek and pull the Big Blue closer.
North Park's biggest inning came in the seventh, when the Vikings stacked run-scoring hits back-to-back: sophomore Raquel Hare singled up the middle for an RBI pinch hit, Baker followed with an RBI single to left-center, senior center fielder Kayla Sapolu lined an RBI single down the right-field line, and Lorenz capped the surge with an RBI single up the middle to push the lead out.
Millikin's final response was immediate in the bottom of the seventh as Meek launched a two-run homer to center, but North Park closed out the opener thanks to a big catch in stride by Sapolu.
Four Vikings had 3+ hits, including two 4-hit games from Lorenz (4-for-5) and Keehn (4-for-4). Freshman Abrianne Papas secured the win for North Park, enjoying a season second-best five strikeouts against just one walk.
Game 2 — Millikin 5, North Park 1
After two scoreless innings, Millikin seized control in the third. Haley Willan lined a two-RBI single to left to bring home two runs, and Matthews followed with an RBI double to right to add another.
In the fourth, Meek delivered again with an RBI triple to right field.
North Park got on the board in the sixth when freshman third baseman Chloe Bader singled to right for an RBI to score pinch runner Keera Trautvetter, but Millikin answered in the bottom half when Meek singled through the right side to drive in Ava Zukowski.
What's Next?
North Park concludes the regular season 16-24 with a 7-9 mark in conference play to finish sixth and qualify for the CCIW Tournament as the 6-seed. The Vikings will travel to Bloomington, Illinois on Thursday, May 7, to seek revenge against Augustana College (19-18, 11-5) at Illinois Wesleyan's Inspiration Field.
