Brent Beals
Kevin Krows/Millikin University
6
Winner North Park NPU 18-12, 9-8 CCIW
3
Millikin MILLIKIN 17-16, 11-9 CCIW
Winner
North Park NPU
18-12, 9-8 CCIW
6
Final
3
Millikin MILLIKIN
17-16, 11-9 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Park NPU 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 6 9 0
Millikin MILLIKIN 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 4 4

W: Ward, Josh (4-2) L: Zuk, Adam (2-2) S: Banks, Tyler (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Millikin Baseball Drops Series Opener to North Park

The Millikin baseball team fell to North Park University 6-3 on April 27 at Sunnyside Park in Decatur in game one of their three game series.

Millikin jumped on the board first in the bottom of the fifth inning on an Andrew Auton double that scored Jon Walters. Auton had two RBI on the day for Millikin. North Park was able to answer right back in the top of the sixth inning. With Jared Cantu on third base and Jake Reinhardt at third, Reinhardt stole second base and Cantu saw the throw get by the Big Blue second baseman Brent Beals and into shallow centerfield, allowing him to score. Reinhardt was then driven home on a Ranko Stevanovic single to put North Park up 2-1. The Vikings added two more in the top of the seventh inning on a homerun and a bases loaded throwing error that scored one, as the weather at Sunnyside Park began to switch to a steady wind and firm rain. With the bases still loaded after the error in the top of the seventh, the game was then delayed for approximately 45 minutes while the tarps were applied and water was removed from the field. Millikin starter Adam Zuk then handed the ball off to Jack Morgan after the rain delay, and Morgan was able to work out of the inning and get the last two outs with the score still 4-1. Zuk finished his outing after 6.2 innings, allowing just three earned runs.

Millikin then put up two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after two walks to begin the inning. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third with one out, and Auton earned his second RBI on a sacrifice fly. With two outs and Jon Walters at third base, Frank Bryan hit an RBI single to the North Park third baseman who made a nice dive but was not able to make the throw in time as it one hopped the first baseman and wasn't handled.

After another nice inning by Morgan on the mound for Millikin, the Big Blue threatened in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on second base and one out but were not able to push him across.

North Park responded with two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning to make it 6-3, and it was all they needed to put away the Big Blue for the night.

With the loss, Millikin drops to 17-16 and 11-9 in College Conference of Illinois play, while North Park improves to 18-12 and 9-8 in the CCIW. Millikin looks to bounce back in games two and three in a doubleheader with first pitch set for 12 p.m. tomorrow at Sunnyside Park. For updates on Millikin athletics, follow @MUBigBlue on Twitter.
 
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