LISLE, Ill. – 24 hours after claiming a share of the 2024 CCIW title, the North Park Baseball team further bolstered their national standing with a 6-4 win over No. 18 Benedictine on Sunday afternoon, concluding the regular season.
Every Viking starter picked up a knock against the Eagles, while six NPU hurlers teamed up in a Johnny Wholestaff day to secure the win.
Sophomore two-way player Carlos Martinez was North Park’s starter on the mound in the important non-conference finisher. The right hander worked four innings against the Eagles, allowing only two hits, a walk, and just one run before handing the game to a plethora of arms in the ‘pen.
The Vikings denied a 1-0 lead by BenU in the third inning on an RBI single from sophomore right fielder Joe Perona and a two-run single by senior second baseman Justin Swanson. Swanson drove his third RBI of the game in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout, scoring junior center fielder Alex DiVitoto extend the NPU lead to 4-1.
A bases loaded walk gave the Eagles a run at the bottom of the fifth before the sixth and seventh went by without any runs crossing. Sophomore right hander Zach Price got the Vikings out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the sixth, catching an Eagles hitter looking before inducing a popout. After letting up a walk at the bottom of the seventh, he sat the next three batters down for another zero on the board.
The Vikings added a run each in the eighth and ninth on a sac fly by DiVito and RBI single by junior left fielder Nate Sommerfeldscoring junior shortstop Reece Arakaki. The Eagles also got runs back in those innings with a solo homer by Ben Fisher in the eighth and a sac fly off his bat in the ninth. However, right handed relief of junior Chase Duffy and sophomore Ethan Condit closed the game out. Duffy worked an inning of two-hit relief while Condit did the same, securing his fifth save of the season.
- Every NPU starter carved at least one hit in the win
- Win for Price, save for Condit as Martinez kept the Eagles off balance through four innings
- Senior DH Bobby Bartlettsenior third baseman Ethan Raspolichand Sommerfeld all with 2-for days at the plate
- 3 more RBI for Swanson
North Park (29-11) concludes a wild weekend of baseball and gets to relax a bit before hosting the CCIW Tournament beginning this coming Wednesday, May 8. The first game NPU will participate in will be on May 9 against the lowest remaining seed of the IL Wesleyan vs. Carthage and North Central vs. Augustana games. First pitch on Thursday is set for noon at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
