North Park split a CCIW doubleheader with Augustana Friday in Rock Island, battling to a 7-4 win in the first game while being edged 6-5 in Game 2.
Game 1 featured two of the premier lefthanders in the conference, Nick Soldano for North Park and Seth Davis for Augustana, though neither would figure in the decisions. Augie got on the board in the third on a single, a stolen base, a passed ball, and a run-scoring base hit. North Park put together a three-run rally in the fifth: Mitchell Jordan led off with a double, Mario Creecy reached on a fielder's choice bunt with Jordan holding at second, and Zak Worsley loaded the bases with a single. Mike Coduto tied the game with a single, and Tommy Endres drove in the go-ahead run with another single. A bobble by the center fielder allowed Worsley to score on the play.
North Park added a run in the top of the seventh when Joe Belmonte singled in Coduto.
After Soldano gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame, he was lifted in favor of reliever Kenny Blanchard, who allowed a pair of singles and a run-scoring groundout. Matt Peterson came in to pitch and gave up a sacrifice fly, made an errant pickoff throw, and allowed a successful squeeze play to tie the contest at 4-4.
In the eighth, North Park pulled back in front on a two-run single by Endres. They added an insurance run in the ninth as the Augie defense committed three consecutive errors to set up Tyler Woolbright's sacrifice fly. Peterson worked two scoreless innings to lock up the win for the visiting Vikings and earn his first victory of the season. Endres led all batters with a 4-for-5 effort and three RBIs, while Coduto, Belmonte, and Jordan each had two hits. In a no-decision, Soldano worked six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out nine.
In the nightcap, Augustana junped out to an early 5-0 lead but North Park pulled to within one run before falling by a one-run decision. Augie scored twice in the first and three times in the second against Alex Silverthorne, who induced several ground balls that seemed to find holes. He settled down and scattered four hits over the next five innings, but the North Park offense could not get anything started against Augie lefty Chris Sauer until the sixth. Creecy doubled, Worsley singled, and Coduto drove in the first Viking run. Belmonte walked to load the bases, Dan Sabin hit a sacrifice fly, and Brett Bernal connected for a two-run single.
North Park squandered a golden opportunity in the seventh, loading the bases but failing to score, thanks to an inning-ending double play. They managed to score an unearned run in the ninth when Jordan's deep fly ball was dropped by the left fielder for a three-base error, and Creecy grounded out to bring in Jordan, but the next two batters struck out to end the game. Creecy and Bernal each had three hits in the game. Silverthorne (4-3) was charged with the loss, working 7 2/3 innings and striking out 11.