On Wednesday afternoon, North Park needed ten innings and seven pitchers to defeat the University of Chicago, 16-12. Trevor Popp had a season-high five hits and six runs scored while Andy Athans drove in five runs for the victorious Vikings.
North Park broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the third on a bases-loaded double by Athans. The Maroons came back with three unearned runs against Viking hurler Carnell Blackmon, who was making his first career start. North Park regained the lead in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Athans and sacrifice flies off the bats of Mike Domenick and Brian Staatz. Wade Yunker’s groundout scored Popp for an 8-4 advantage in the sixth; a run-scoring double by Staatz and a wild pitch added two more in the seventh; and they tacked on an eleventh run in the eighth on another sacrifice fly by Domenick - his third of the game.
The Maroons would not go away quietly, however, scoring a pair of runs off reliever Nick Soldano in the sixth, an unearned tally off Alex Silverthorne in the seventh, and three more in their half of the eighth off relievers Joel Bonnett and Tito Garza to make it an 11-10 game going into the final frame.
The Vikings added a single run in the top of the ninth when Ryan Javech walked and eventually came in on an error. Chicago mounted a furious threat in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases against Garza and scoring twice before Mike Giovenco came in to record the final out and send the game to extra frames.
North Park took control to start the tenth as Mike Sommerfield and Popp executed back-to-back bunt singles. Yunker’s sacrifice moved the runners up, Domenick was issued an intentional walk, and Athans singled in Sommerfield. Popp scored on a wild pitch, and then the Vikings plated two insurance runs on an unusual play: Ryan Javech hit a grounder to the Maroon third baseman, and as Domenick broke for home, the throw hit him in the back and scooted away from the catcher. Athans alertly rounded third to score the 16th and final run of the contest. Pat Richards, the seventh Viking pitcher of the game, worked a scoreless tenth.
Popp (5-for-5, six runs scored, two stolen bases), Athans (3-for-6, five RBIs), Domenick (1-for-2, three RBIs on three sacrifice flies), and Staatz (2-for-4, two RBIs) led the 14-hit assault. Blackmon (3 innings, 0 earned runs, four K’s), Soldano (2 2/3 innings), Silverthorne (2/3 of an inning), Bonnett (1 inning), Garza (1 1/3 innings), Giovenco (1/3 of an inning), and Richards (1 inning) split up the mound duties, with Giovenco getting credit for the victory after working out of a ninth-inning, bases-loaded jam.
The Vikings (11-5) start CCIW action against the streaking North Central Cardinals with a doubleheader at home on Friday.
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