North Park opened its 2014 campaign on Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, with a 6-4 loss to a very solid Piedmont College squad. They later bounced back for a 5-4 victory over Millsaps in the nightcap.
Against Piedmont, starting pitcher Nick Soldano helped his own cause in the top of the first with two pickoffs after hitting one batter and walking another. He allowed one hit through the first three frames but gave up a one-out walk and a run-scoring double to stake the Lions to a 1-0 lead. An error, a single, a double steal and a groundout put two more runs on the board. After working a scoreless fifth, Soldano gave way to Ryan Kennedy. Kennedy retired the two first batters in the sixth before yielding two walks and two singles to put Piedmont up 6-0.
Merrick McGrady, the third Viking hurler of the game, held the Lions in check for the final three innings. After being held to just three singles by Piedmont's lefty Preston Graham, North Park's bats final came to life in the eighth. Mario Creecy and Dan Anderson walked after one was out. Zak Worsley's singled scored Creecy, a looping line drive by Eric Sousanes loaded the bases, and Dan Sabin drove in two with a single. Pinch runner Nate Clarke and Eric Sousanes pulled off a double steal to bring the Vikings to within two runs, but Piedmont closer Jason Brewster came on to retire the side in order in the ninth and preserve the victory for the Lions.
Against Millsaps in the second game, a two-out, four-run ninth inning rally gave North Park an exciting victory over No. 12th-ranked Millsaps College in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Majors, last season's southern regional entry in the NCAA Division III World Series, took an early 1-0 lead on a double, a groundout, and a single off Viking starter Alex Silverthorne. They extended their lead to 2-0 after two innings on two errors, a single, and a bases-loaded walk. The Vikings got on the board in the fourth when Eric Sousanes led off with a single, stole second, and came in on a base hit by Joe Belmonte.
Millsaps struck again for single runs in the fifth and eighth innings and could have done more damage, but the Vikings turned key double plays in the sixth and eighth to keep the game close. In the meantime, however, North Park was unable to solve the Majors' ace right hander, Keith Shumaker, who scattered six hits through eight innings before turning the ball over to closer William Chenoweth in the ninth to preserve the 4-1 lead.
The North Park batters came alive in their final at-bat. Belmonte led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Alec Strachota. Mike Coduto reached on an error, and Cam Adams singled to load the bases. After Chenoweth retired Mitchell Jordan and Dan Anderson, Zak Worsley lined a single to score two runs and cut the deficit to 4-3. Sousanes followed with a single to drive in pinch runner Connor Sarant to tie the game. After pinch-hitter Tyler Woolbright coaxed a walk, Tommy Endres was hit by a pitch from reliever Zack Snider to give the Vikings a 5-4 lead. Strachota was retired on strikes to end the rally.
Viking reliever Jason Meger, who replaced Silverthorne with one out in the eighth, walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth. After retiring the next two batters on fly balls, he picked off the pinch runner to end the game.
North Park (1-1) was paced by Silverthorne (7 1/3 innings, 3 earned runs) and Meger (1 2/3 innings, 1 hit) on the mound and Sousanes and Adams (2 hits apiece) and Worsley (2 RBI) at the plate. The Vikings play host Birmingham Southern in an early game tomorrow before returning to Chicago.