North Park completed it first season sweep of Augustana since the CCIW went to a three-game format with a ten-inning, 5-4 win on Sunday at Rock Island. Jake Hollinsaid picked up his fifth victory after 9 1/3 innings of work, while Alex Silverthorne earned his first career save.
The Chicago Vikings scored a run in the top of the first. Wade Yunker walked and Mike Domenick singled to put two aboard with one out. Andy Athans followed with a grounder to short that forced Domenick, but the ensuing throw eluded the first baseman and allowed Yunker to score. Augustana tied the game with a tally in their half of the second on a double and a single.
North Park regained the lead in the third on Athans’ single and added a third run in the fourth when Brian Staatz reached on a two-base error and came in on a single off the bat of Mike Sommerfield. Augie plated a pair in the bottom of the fourth on a walk, a hit batsman, a run-scoring single, and a throwing error.
The game remained knotted at 3-3 through eight innings. North Park picked off runners in the seventh (by catcher Zach Deutscher) and eighth (by Hollinsaid) to keep Augustana at bay. Meanwhile, Augie pitchers Ray Homolka and Rick Erickson held North Park scoreless from the fifth through the ninth.
The excitement mounted in the bottom of the ninth. Hollinsaid hit the leadoff batter, and a sacrifice bunt put the runner in scoring position. Coach Luke Johnson called for an intentional walk, and the next batter lined sharply to third baseman Angel Carrasco, who snagged the liner in the air and pegged the ball to Staatz covering second for a double play to end the threat.
North Park went into the top of the tenth with momentum. Trevor Popp lined a double down the right field line and moved up on Yunker’s sacrifice bunt. After Domenick was intentionally walked, Augie reliever Tyler Wilson uncorked a wild pitch that brought in Popp for a 4-3 lead. Ryan Javech followed with a single to drive in Domenick to go up 5-3.
Hollinsaid started the bottom of the tenth by getting a ground out, but a single and a double put the tying run on second. Silverthorne was summoned from the bullpen and got his first batter on a sacrifice fly for the second out. A wild pitch moved the tying run to third. Silverthorne got pinch hitter Nate Richardson to ground a ball deep in the hole between third and short, where shortstop Trevor Popp made the stop and fired a one-hop throw to Domenick at first to get the runner by a step and end the game.
Hollinsaid (5-1) went 9 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits and only two walks. Popp, Domenick, Athans, Javech, and Deutscher each collected a pair of hits.
North Park (16-7, 5-2) plays a non-conference game at Rockford on Tuesday before resuming CCIW play with a doubleheader at Elmhurst on Wednesday.
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