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Elmhurst University Athletics

Events and Results

Events and Results

ELMHURST, IL - April 22nd, 2024 - Elmhurst Infielder/Outfielder Tommy Wichgers (#33) during the game between the Edgewood Eagles and the Elmhurst Bluejays at Butterfield Park in Elmhurst, IL. Photo By Harry Figiel
Harry Figiel
14
Winner North Park NORTH PA 10-16
13
Elmhurst ELMHURST 8-22
Winner
North Park NORTH PA
10-16
14
Final
13
Elmhurst ELMHURST
8-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Park NORTH PA 1 1 5 1 3 0 3 0 0 14 15 3
Elmhurst ELMHURST 1 0 1 2 5 2 0 2 0 13 13 2

W: T. Eck (1-0) L: Weymouth, Fox (0-1) S: Z. Price (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Offensive Breakthrough Sees Bluejays Fall Just Short to Vikings

RECAP

ELMHURST, Ill. - In a wild, high-scoring affair that featured a combined 27 runs and 26 hits, North Park narrowly escaped with a 14–13 win over Elmhurst on Friday afternoon in at Butterfield Park.

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead, held off a relentless comeback by the Bluejays, and ultimately relied on their bullpen to seal the deal in the late innings. With the win, North Park improved to 10–16 and 6-4 in the CCIW on the season, while Elmhurst fell to 8–22 and 2-10 in CCIW play. T. Eck earned the win in relief for the Vikings, while Fox Weymouth took the loss for Elmhurst. Zach Price secured the final three outs to notch his first save of the season.

Elmhurst's offense put up a fierce fight, sparked by Rock Smith, who launched two solo home runs and drove in three runs on a 2-for-5 day. Erik Malott added a homer and a double, also collecting three RBIs. Adan Nieves reached base five times, scoring three runs and hitting a solo home run of his own. Brett Vercruyss paced the lineup with a 3-for-5 performance, scoring twice and driving in one. Tommy Wichgers contributed a two-run double in the eighth to bring Elmhurst within striking distance, but the rally ultimately fell short.

North Park struck first in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from R. Matsuzaki. Elmhurst answered quickly in the bottom half with Smith's first homer of the day, knotting the game at 1–1. The Vikings reclaimed the lead in the second thanks to an RBI single from R. Kawakami, and they blew the game open in the third. Back-to-back home runs by Matsuzaki and E. Vertucci kicked off a five-run inning that also featured a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a two-run single by Kawakami, giving North Park a 7–1 advantage. Smith's second solo shot in the bottom of the third trimmed the lead to 7–2.

In the fourth, North Park added an unearned run when R. Arakaki reached on an error, allowing Matsuzaki to score. Elmhurst countered with a solo homer from Malott and another long ball from Nieves to make it 8–4. The Vikings kept pressing in the fifth, scoring three more runs on a two-run single by A. Divito and an RBI fielder's choice by Matsuzaki, extending the lead to 11–4. But the Bluejays responded with a furious rally in the bottom half, scoring five runs on a two-run double by Malott, an RBI single from Vercruyss, a balk that brought in two runs, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to pull within 11–9.

Elmhurst tied the game in the sixth inning, capitalizing on a passed ball and a fielding error to bring in two more runs. With the score knotted at 11, North Park responded in the seventh with a three-run burst. V. Marvucic doubled home two runs and later scored on an RBI single by R. Jepsen to make it 14–11. Elmhurst wasn't finished, adding two more in the eighth on Wichgers' double to close the gap to 14–13. But Price held firm in the ninth, retiring the side to preserve the one-run win in a game that saw scoring in every inning but the sixth and ninth.

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