The Millikin baseball team traveled to Chicago, Ill. on Saturday April, 25 for a doubleheader with the Vikings of North Park University. The Big Blue swept, with the series finale set for Sunday in Decatur.
In game one, the Big Blue scored in the first inning on a Carder Reich double down the left field like that plated Ty Cribbett. A single by Sam Bushur up the middle scored Cribbett. In the second, Millikin added a third run on an RBI groundout by Anderson Decker.
The Vikings chipped away, scoring two runs in the eighth, but the Big Blue came away with the 3-2 victory. Reich and Bushur each went 2-for-4 in game one at the plate.
Caleb Akins earned the win in game one, tossing 7.1 innings and striking out six. Gavin Houchins earned the save, striking out one through 1.2 innings pitched.
In game two, a double steal accounted for the first run for Millikin when Leyton Ivers went home in the first. They tacked on another in the third when Cribbett's single plated Ivers. Reich singled to score Britton later in the third, giving the Big Blue a 3-0 lead. Kolby Koslofski was responsible for bringing home two more in the third, scoring Bushur and Reich.
The Vikings scored three in response in the bottom of the third. In the sixth, it was Ivers who sent a fly ball out to right that scored Gage Reynolds. Millikin capitalized on an NPU error with Reich and Mick Niebrugge crossing the plate in the seventh.
With an 8-3 lead, Millikin surrendered two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but added another in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Decker that plated Niebrugge.
With the wins, the Big Blue earned at least a share of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regular season championship.
Decker went 2-for-3 in game two. Matthew Brummer picked up the win with five strikeouts through 7.0 innings pitched. Jayden McNaught earned the save.
The Big Blue will meet the Vikings for the third game of the series on Sunday, April 26 with first pitch set for 3:00 PM at the Workman Family Baseball Field.
