North Park tops Baseball in rain-shortened game

CHICAGO – A six-run second by North Park University and rainfall in Chicago, which shortened the game, played big factors as the Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team dropped a non-conference game Wednesday night. The game was called in the bottom of the fifth due to rain, allowing North Park a 7-5 victory.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: North Park 7, Concordia Wisconsin 5 (F/5)
- Location: Holmgren Athletic Complex – Chicago, Ill.
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 12-13; North Park 12-18

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to a RBI double by sophomore Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Isaac Tewes (Chaska, Minn.). Juniors Mitchell Dubnicka (Hartland, Wis.) and Bryan Thomas (Lowell, Ind.) scored in the two-run second for CUW.

- North Park responded with six runs in the bottom half of the second on four hits. The Vikings were also aided by a pair of walks and a hit batsmen, building a 6-2 advantage.

- CUW would chip away with runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, while North Park scored once in the fourth. The game was called after two batters in the bottom of the fifth, and due to North Park leading was declared a finished contest.

- Senior Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis.) was the pitcher of record for CUW, lasting just 1.2 innings. The Falcons used four pitchers in the game, including sophomore Joey Schuman (New Lenox, Ill.), who tossed a scoreless fourth inning.

- Hilliard paced the Falcons with two hits, the RBI double in the second and an RBI triple in the fifth, scoring sophomore Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.). Thyssen added two hits for the Falcons.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will host Maranatha Baptist University in a non-conference game Friday at Kapco Park. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.