ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team opened the CCIW portion of its schedule by splitting a doubleheader with North Park University.

The Bluejays took the opening game 13-6 before falling 8-7 in the night cap. Elmhurst moved to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in the CCIW with the split.
 
ELMHURST 13, NORTH PARK 6 (Game One) – Elmhurst opened CCIW play with a 13-6 win over North Park in game one.

The Bluejays banged out 15 hits in the victory and broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning.
 
With the score tied 4-4 in the fourth inning, the Bluejays sent eight batters to the plate and scored five times. Trey Compton started the scoring with an RBI single and Jacob McMillan followed with a run-scoring fielder's choice. Matt Wilson's RBI double gave the Bluejays a three-run lead and Jordan Scrimpsher followed with an RBI single. The Bluejays tacked on one more run as Wilson came in to score after Scrimpsher was caught in a run down.
 
North Park cut the Bluejays lead down to three with a two-run homer in the top sixth, but Elmhurst answered back with a two-run single from James Wick in the bottom of the sixth. The Bluejays tacked on two insurance runs to pull away for the seven-run victory.
 
Reagan McReynolds led the way for Elmhurst's offense, finishing with three hits and four runs scored. He also launched a solo home run to start the game in the first inning. Trevor Horwarth added three hits and scored two runs while Compton tallied a team-high three RBIs in the victory. McMillan, Wilson and Wick added two hits apiece in the victory.
 
Austin MacMillan made the start and picked up the win for the Bluejays. MacMillan worked five innings, allowing eight hits and five runs while striking out two. Alex Kielion picked up a four-inning save, tossing the final four innings and allowing just one hit and one run. He struck out three while not issuing a walk.
 
ELMHURST NORTH PARK (Game Two) – North Park rallied from a three-run deficit, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth, to down Elmhurst 8-7 in game two.
 
Two-out rallies were the key to the contest. Elmhurst scored six of its seven runs with two outs while North Park scored three runs in the eighth inning with two outs.

North Park jumped out to a 3-1 lead midway through the contest, but Elmhurst pulled even with a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth. Compton and Tyler Kledzik both singled home runs to knot the score at 3-3.
 
The Vikings plated a run in the top of the sixth to move in front 4-3. The damage could've been worse, but Jacob McMillan ended the inning with a diving catch in left field, saving at least two runs in the process.  The Bluejays used another two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth to pull even at 4-4. Horwath singled through the left side to drive in Karson Thomas and tie the game in the process.
 
North Park retired the first two hitters in the seventh, but a single from McMillan followed by back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases for Elmhurst with two outs. Austin MacMillan gave Elmhurst its first lead of the contest with a two-run single to left field. Back-to-Back walks to Collin Winston and Horwath forced in a run for Elmhurst, giving the Bluejays a three-run cushion at 7-4.
 
North Park took advantage of a wild eighth inning to score four runs. Two walks and three hit batters helped the Vikings send 10 batters to the plate and score fours, three coming with two outs in the inning.
 
Elmhurst mounted one last rally in the bottom of the ninth as a single, error and walk loaded the bases and put the tying and winning runs in scoring position, but a fly out ended the contest.
 
Austin MacMillan recorded two hits and drove in two runs for Elmhurst. Horwath also knocked in two for the Bluejays.
 
Jordan Scrimpsher made the start and took a no-decision, working 4.1 innings and allowing five hits and three runs (one earned). He walked three and fanned four. Alec Berry took the loss in relief, allowing two hits and four runs in two innings of work.
 
Elmhurst travels to Illinois Wesleyan University on Friday, March 30.