North Park completed a three-game sweep of Millikin with a 6-2 win Sunday at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The game was started thirty minutes early in anticipation of a storm front that was headed to the Chicago area.
After racking up 26 runs on 30 hits Saturday, the Vikings had to settle for two small rallies that propelled them past the Big Blue. They scored three runs in the bottom of the first as Zak Worsley singled, Mike Coduto walked, Tommy Endres moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and Joe Belmonte connected for a two-run double. With two outs, Brett Bernal doubled to right to drive in Belmonte and stake starter Alex Vannucci to a 3-0 lead.
The next three innings were scoreless for both sides but full of action. With two outs and a runner on second, Vannucci gave up a sharp single to right, but Bernal pegged the ball on the fly to catcher Dan Sabin, who tagged the runner out trying to score. Millikin turned the tables on the Vikings in the bottom of the inning as the Big Blue center fielder, Keith Askins, tracked down Worsley's line drive to right center and doubled up Mario Creecy, who was moving on a hit-and-run.
The Vikings loaded the bases against Millikin righty Sean Beal on three different occasions – in the third, the fifth, and the sixth, but were unable to come through with a clutch hit. They did manage a fourth run in the sixth as Mitchell Jordan doubled, moved to third on a single by Creecy, and came in on a passed ball.
Millikin picked up a single run in the fifth on a single, a sacrifice bunt, and a base hit, but a perfect throw from Worsley in center nailed the runner trying to advance to second. Vannucci then gave up a double and a single, but Sabin threw out the base runner trying to steal second to end the inning.
The Big Blue cut into the deficit again in the seventh on a pair of singles and a successful double steal against reliever Kenny Blanchard, who had come in to spell Vannucci after six innings of work. Blanchard escaped further damage in the seventh and struck out a Millikin batter with two on and two out in the eighth.
North Park finally managed to add some insurance runs in the last of the eighth. Worsley and Coduto each singled, then a sacrifice fly by Endres and a run-scoring single by Belmonte made it a 6-2 lead. The ninth frame proved to be dramatic: after walking the leadoff batter, Blanchard handed the ball to Merrick McGrady, who retired one batter but walked another. Matt Peterson was summoned from the bullpen and struck out the next batter before retiring the following hitter for the final out of the contest.
Vannucci (4-0) picked up his second win as a starter and Peterson, his second save in consecutive games third of the season. Belmonte (3-for-5, 3 RBIs), Worsley (2-for-4, 2 runs), Coduto (2-for-4, 2 runs), Sabin (2-for-4), and Creecy (2-for-4) led the 14-hit attack for North Park. The Vikings move to 19-9 overall and 9-3 in the CCIW.