| Nick Soldano provided some much-needed relief out of the bullpen with 4-plus scoreless innings for his first collegiate victory. |
| Wade Yunker drove in foru runs on three hits. |
| Mike Sommerfield had four hits, including a pair of doubles. He also drove in two and scored twice. |
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North Park bounced back from a tough loss in game one to split Wednesday's doubleheader and take the season series with an 11-7 win. Elmhurst got on the board early against starter Joel Bonnett, scoring a run in the first on a bases-loaded double play. The Vikings took their first lead of the afternoon with a three-run second. Ryan Javech walked, Brian Staatz and Zach Deutscher were hit by a pitch, and Mike Sommerfield cracked a two-run double. After Trevor Popp singled, Wade Yunker singled in Sommerfield. No sooner had Bonnett escaped the second by inducing a bases-loaded, ininng-ending groundout than Elmhurst scored five times in their half of the third to go up 6-3. The Bluejays collected four singles and three walks in the rally. The Vikings drew to within a run by scoring twice in the fourth. Sommerfield and Popp hit back-to-back doubles and Yunker followed with a single. The Bluejays added one run in the fourth on a solo homer for a 7-5 advantage, knocking Bonnett out of the box in favor of lefty Nick Soldano. North Park struck for three in the fifth, beneficiaries of three straight Bluejay errors. Javech led off with a walk, and with one gone, Staatz had a bad-hop single, then three errors and a Yunker single gave North Park a slim 8-7 lead. Soldano was strong in relief, scattering three hits and one walk over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. The Viking bats continued to produce, scoring three more runs in the eighth for an 11-7 lead. Sommerfield singled, Popp and Yunker doubled, Domenick singled, Athans hit a sacrifice fly, and one run scored on a balk. Mike Giovenco worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the win for Soldano (1-0), who picked up his first career victory. For the Vikings, Sommerfield led the way with a 4-for-5 game, 2 runs scored, 2 driven in, and a pair of doubles; Yunker finished 3-for-6 with 4 RBIs; Popp was also 3-for-6 with two doubles and two runs scored; and Devin Melecio was the other North Parker with multiple hits, going 2-for-5. North Park moves to 6-3 in CCIW action and 17-9 overall. They host Millikin for a three-game weekend series that looms large for the Vikings' chances in CCIW play. |