RIVER FOREST, Ill. – After spending a long day at the ball park yesterday in the sweep over Dominican, the No. 1 Concordia Chicago Cougars took to the field once again today. The Cougars welcomed the North Park Vikings to the Thunderdome for a non-conference contest. It was a battle from start to finish, but it was the Vikings who were able to plate two runs in the top of 12^th to down CUC by a 9-7 final score.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Jose Mercado, Keegan Tyrell, Mateo Calle and Justin Rodriguez all had two hits.
• Connor Brandon and Tyrell each drove in three runs.
• Cade Laudenschlager got the start and worked six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

The Cougars got things going in the bottom of the first. With one out an error and a VanDuser single put two on. Brody Mariotti was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brandon then ripped a 1-0 pitch into left scoring two. It then became 3-0 CUC when Calle singled to center.

The score remained the same until the third. A walk and an error opened the inning for North Park two hits then made it 3-1. With two outs a single and a double allowed North Park to tie the score at three.

The Vikings took the lead in the fifth. With two outs a single through the left side made it 4-3 North Park. They then made it 5-3 with a single to right in the seventh.

CUC fought back in the eighth. Brayden Benavides was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Three straight walks followed to pull CUC back within 5-4. After a pitching change Tyrell delivered a single through the left side scoring VanDuser and Jacob Frank to make it 6-5 Cougars.

North Park answered with two of their own in the top of the ninth. They used three walks and a hit in the inning to take a 7-6 lead.

CUC got a single run back in the bottom of the ninth. Benavides led off the inning with a single to left. Two outs later a hit batter put Benavides in scoring position. Tyrell then delivered once again with a single to center field to tie the game at seven.

The two teams remained tied until the 12^th. A leadoff walk for North Park got things started for the Vikings. A double down the left field line followed to put two in scoring position. Two sac flies followed to make it 9-7.

CUC was able to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth but would not be able to rally again.

The Cougars will be back in action tomorrow afternoon against North Central College. First pitch is set for 3:00pm from Naperville.