southlandvikings.com

This time however, the Vikings emerged victorious 13-5 in a game that was called with one out in the top of the eighth due to lightning. 

The Vikings 13 runs came on just nine hits, as they took advantage of three Joliet errors and eight walks issued.  

They would jump out to the lead in the first, after Kellen Quigley (Webster University/Bolingbrook, Ill.)  singled with the bases loaded. Another run would score on Jake Schroeder’s (NIU/Flossmoor, Ill.) double play ball, giving Vikings starter Logan Strutz (Triton College/Lockport, Ill.) a 2-0 lead before he even took the mound.  

Strutz gave a run back in the bottom of the first, one of 5 he would surrender in six innings of work, though he would ultimately get the win for the third time this season.  

Quigley tacked on two more RBIs when he turned on a 1-0 pitch that sailed over the right field wall for his first homer of the season, and a 4-1 Viking lead.  

It didn’t last long, as the first four batters reached for Joliet, the latter two n doubles that would tie the game at 4-4.  

The Vikings would strike again in the fifth, with the help of a passed ball and fielding error staking them to a 7-4 lead. The Generals responded with one more run to make it a 7-5 game through five.   The Generals then turned to their bullpen for the sixth inning, and the wheels quickly came off. After a leadoff walk to PJ Raines (Santa Rosa Junior College/Chicago, Ill.), the next two batters were retired, though Raines scored on the second out, a Dashon Moore (U of I-Springfield/South Holland, Ill.) groundout to short. The Vikings then drew back to back walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases.  

Then with Schroeder at the plate, Max Malley (University of Evansville/Frankfort, Ill.) came in to score on a wild pitch, Schroeder would later be hit to again load the bases. Joe Curci (RPI/Chicago, Ill.) then singled for the Vikings only hit of the inning to put the Vikings up by a score of 10-5. The damage was still not completely done, as the Vikings drew two more walks, and a couple more passed balls stretched the lead to 13-5.  

With the game firmly in hand, the umpires conferred, and after a 20-minute delay at the start of the eighth inning called the game due to lightning in the area.  

The rain shortened win was the Vikings 11th of the season, and second in three tries over the Generals. And in all three games against the Generals thus far, the Vikings have scored in double digits.

Up next for the now first place Vikings is a matchup Friday against the DuPage County Hounds, who sit just a half game behind Southland in the standings. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Lemont. Will Trubshaw will have the call for the Southland Vikings Broadcast Network.