southlandvikings.com

Hammond, Ind. – June 15, 2022 – On a day where temperatures graced the low 100’s, there was no cooling off the Vikings. 

The Southland Vikings (8-7-1) picked up their third consecutive victory and first win this season against the Joliet Generals (6-8) by a score of 10-2. The Viking offense scored early and the pitching staff cruised through the Joliet lineup. 

The Vikings wasted no time getting things going in Wednesday’s contest, putting up three runs in the first inning on three hits. One of them being a Chris McDevitt RBI single, the first of three RBI singles for McDevitt in the contest, and his ninth RBI in two games.

The Vikings would score two more in the second, one being an RBI single by Zach McKenna which scored Kyle Fenner, and the other was a wild pitch that allowed George Bilecki to score. 

While the Vikes’ held a 5-0 lead going into the fourth, an opportunity to bust the game open came and the Vikings took advantage of it. After Nick Noles and Kyle Fenner reached base safely, Zach McKenna stepped up to the plate with one out. He drove a two-RBI triple into the gap, scoring both runners and giving the Vikings a seven-run lead. 

“I just wanted to do a job and put the ball in play,” McKenna said. “Fortunately, he gave me a pitch that was right there for me, and I’ve been seeing the ball really well lately and was able to do some damage with it.”

McKenna was able to score later on in that inning and the Vikings would later add two more runs in the home half of the eighth to make it a 10-2 game. 

Once again, the Vikings pitching staff did their jobs and were strong. 

Colin Amsden made his first start of the summer with the Vikings and had four solid innings of work. During his time on the mound, he allowed just one hit and two walks while recording two strikeouts. But most importantly, Amsden did not allow a run. 

“My fastball and my changeup worked really well today and we just kept throwing it in the zone for strikes,” Amsden said. “[We] got ahead of hitters and [I] trusted Jason [Krol] back there behind the plate. He was awesome today.”

The Vikings are back in action on Thursday evening as they’ll host the Chicago American Giants at Hammond’s Dowling Park. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be aired on Facebook Live and the Vikings Radio Network.