The North Park offense was in high gear Sunday as they scored 40 runs on 47 hits, including 11 doubles and six home runs, in a doubleheader sweep of Elmhurst. They cruised to a 27-5 win in game one and came from five runs down to take game two, 13-9.
The Vikings sent 16 batters to the plate in the first inning of game one, scoring ten runs on ten hits. Eric Sousanes started the offensive engine with a long two-run homer to left. Brett Bernal and Mike Coduto followed with RBI singles, and Tyler Woolbright connected for his first career home run as a Viking, a three-run shot to center field, to give North Park a 7-0 lead. In his second at bat of the inning, Sousanes hit a run-scoring single, as did Tommy Endres and Joe Belmonte.
In the second, Woolbright led off with a double and scored on a pair of groundouts, the second off the bat of Zak Worsley. The Vikings batted around again in the third, sending twelve men to the plate and scoring six times on seven hits. Mario Creecy hit a bases-loaded single, Worsley followed with a two-run double, Sousanes and Endres each hit RBI singles, and Belmonte connected for another run-scoring double.
The Vikings added to their 17-0 lead with five more in the fourth as they batted around for the third time. Creecy had an RBI groundout, then Belmonte and Bernal each came up with two-run singles.
Starting pitcher Nick Soldano (3-1) was the beneficiary of the offensive onslaught and allowed one hit through three innings. The Bluejays finally got on the board in the fourth, scoring twice on three hits. The teams traded single runs in the fifth; North Park scoring on doubles by Woolbright and Worsley and Elmhurst scratching out an unearned run on a walk, a fielder's choice, and an error.
North Park made it 25-3 with two more in the sixth on Bernal's two-run homer that hit the press box above right fielder bleachers. Elmhurst scored twice in their half of the sixth against reliever Charlie Moran. The Vikings wrapped up the scoring with two more in the seventh when Sousanes scored on a passed ball and Javier Cardenas singled home Greg Grana.
Every Viking starter collected at least one hit and scored at least one run. The attack was led by Sousanes (5-for-5, five runs, four RBIs, a double and a home run), Belmonte (5-for-7, four RBIs, three runs, two doubles), Bernal (4-for-6, three runs, five RBIs, a home run), Worsley (4-for-5, four runs, four RBIs, two doubles), and Woolbright (3-for-5, three runs, three RBIs, two doubles, and a home run); Endres, Dan Sabin, and Coduto each had two hits. As a team, the Vikings collected 30 hits – by far their highest total of the season – including ten doubles and three home runs. Christian Rodriguez, Brody Burkart, Alec Strachota, Nathan Clarke, Dan Anderson, and Jordan Sidwell (1-for-2 with a double) all saw action in the contest.
In game two, Elmhurst took an early 8-3 lead after two innings, but North Park chipped away and eventually prevailed for a series sweep.
The Bluejays took advantage of an error a walk, two hit batsmen, and two hits against starter Jason Meger to go up 2-0 in the top of the first. The Vikings countered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by Sabin's three-run homer to right center, to take a 3-2 lead. That would quickly vanish in the second as Elmhurst rapped out three hits and coaxed a walk to knock Meger out of the box with a 6-3 lead. Alex Vannucci was summoned from the bullpen and was tagged for a run-scoring single, a sacrifice fly, and a three-run homer to right by Luke Collins to put the Vikings in an 8-3 hole.
The Vikings kept the pressure on Elmhurst starter Justin Theisen but couldn't come up with a key hit in either the second or third innings. Theisen benefited from some fine defensive plays behind him – two nice sliding catches by center fielder Tyler Wargo, a pickoff at first, and a double play on a flyball to right in which Dave Wolak fired a perfect strike to third to nail Sousanes, who was trying to advance on the play.
North Park finally began to battle back in the fourth as Bernal led off with a solo home run to left center field. Creecy reached on a fielder's choice, moved up on a balk, and scored on an error to cut the deficit to 8-5. The Vikings pulled even in the fifth when Sabin hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Sousanes and Bernal connected for a two-run homer to center field, his second of the game and his third of the afternoon.
A three-run rally in the sixth gave North Park a definitive lead. Woolbright was hit by a pitch and took second on a groundout. After Worsley reached on a perfect bunt single, both runners executed a perfect delayed steal to give the Vikings a 9-8 lead. Endres walked and stole second, and both runners came in on Belmonte's two-run single up the middle. They added a run in the seventh on a Worsley single for a 12-8 lead.
After yielding a walk to start the eighth, Vannucci was lifted in favor of Merrick McGrady. A bunt single followed by a throwing error cut the Viking lead to 12-9, but McGrady shut the door with one-hit relief over two innings. North Park added an insurance run in the eighth on a Bernal single.
Vannucci (2-0) picked up his second win with 5 2/3 innings of relief, holding the Bluejays scoreless over five frames. Bernal (3-for-5, four RBIs, two home runs), Sabin (2-for-4, four RBIs, one home run), Endres (3-for-4, three runs scored), and Belmonte (2-for-5, two RBIs, two runs scored) led the attack; Worsley, Sousanes, and Coduto each had two hits.