Host Birmingham Southern made a three-run first inning stand up to hold on for a 4-2 victory over North Park Sunday morning in Alabama.

The Vikings took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Zak Worsley led off with a double, moved up on a passed ball, and came in on a sacrifice fly by Eric Sousanes. The Panthers answered with three runs – one unearned – against starter T.D. Conway. Three doubles sandwiched around an error scored two and a groundout accounted for the third run.

Each team threatened to add more, but clutch pitching by Conway and Birmingham's Blake Stevens kept the score the same through five innings. Conway worked out of bases-loaded jams in both the third and fifth frames, while Stevens stranded two Viking base runners in both the fourth and fifth. North Park finally pushed across a run in the sixth: a single by Dan Sabin, a walk to Tommy Endres, and a single by Joe Belmonte loaded the bases with none out. A double play grounder off the bat of Mike Coduto scored Sabin but effectively shut down the rally. The Panthers added an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Kenny Blanchard.

Belmonte collected three hits for the Vikings, Dan Anderson added two, and Worsley, Sabin, Endres, and Mario Creecy had one hit apiece.

The Vikings (1-2) travel to St. Louis next weekend for a three-game set against Webster, Grinnell, and Wartburg.