CHICAGO, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team closed out its 2019 season after dropping a doubleheader at North Park University. The Bluejays fell 5-4 in game one and dropped game two 12-3.
 
Elmhurst finished the season with an 11-27 overall record and a 5-19 mark in the CCIW. North Park improved to 21-16 overall and 13-11 in league play.
 
NORTH PARK 5, ELMHURST 4 (Game One) – Elmhurst jumped out to a 4-0 lead but North Park rallied, scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth to earn the walk-off 5-4 win.
 
Jordan Scrimpsher, Tyler Kledzik and Chad Tucker all drove in runs in the first inning to stake the Bluejays to a 3-0 lead. Jacob McMillan knocked in a run in the second with a single to extend the Bluejays' lead to four.
 
North Park answered back with a run in the bottom of the second and another in the third. The Bluejays held a 4-2 lead entering the ninth. A sacrifice fly pulled the Vikings to within a run to start the ninth. After a walk, the Vikings had runners on first and second with one out. Jared Canut was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jake Reinhardt gave the Vikings the win with a walk-off double to drive in two.
 
Kledzik, Trey Compton and Lorenzo Farino recorded two hits apiece to lead Elmhurst's offense.
 
Fred Birr made the start and took a no-decision, pitching into the ninth inning and striking out three. Birr worked 8.1 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs. Alec Berry was tagged for the loss in relief. Tyler Banks tossed two scoreless innings for the Vikings to pick up the win.
 
NORTH PARK 12, ELMHURST 3 (Game Two) – North Park scored five runs early before pulling away for a 12-3 victory in game two.
 
The Vikings took advantage of two Elmhurst errors to scored five unearned runs in the opening inning. Elmhurst cut into the deficit in the fourth with the three unearned runs. Drew Raspolich singled home a run to start the scoring. Compton knocked in two with a two-out single to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Vikings.
 
North ark scored three in the bottom of the fourth and tacked on three more in the sixth to pull away for the 12-3 win.
 
Kledzik and Raspolich finished with two hits apiece for the Bluejays.
 
Jay Palmer took the loss for the Bluejays after making the start. Palmer surrendered five hits and eight runs (just two earned) in three innings of work. Justin Wollbright picked up the victory for the Vikings after tossing six innings and allowing seven hits and three unearned runs. He walked two and struck out six.