CHICAGO, Ill. — Carroll baseball dropped an 8–5 decision at North Park on Sunday afternoon at Holmgren Athletic Complex as the Vikings used a three-run seventh inning to pull away.

Carroll jumped out to an early lead, scoring one run in the first inning and adding two more in the second. Evan Becker provided the highlight of the early frames with a solo home run, while Joey Appino and Justin Cusimano each drove in runs to give the Pioneers a 3–1 advantage.

The Pioneers extended the lead in the fourth inning when Eddie Synek stole second base and Becker stole home on the same play, pushing Carroll ahead 4–1. North Park answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to one before tying the game in the sixth on RBI hits from Enzo Vertucci and Fabian Cruz.

Carroll briefly regained the lead in the seventh as Appino delivered an RBI single to score Brody Ferko, but North Park responded immediately. Taylor Joseph launched a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to swing momentum back in favor of the Vikings.

North Park added insurance earlier in the game and held Carroll scoreless over the final two innings to secure the win.

Ferko led Carroll offensively with two hits and two runs scored, while Appino finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Becker added a hit, a home run, and two runs scored, and Synek also recorded a multi-hit performance.

Braden Lewis made the start for Carroll, working six innings and striking out six. Isaac Verbruggen and Chayce Schultz provided relief appearances out of the bullpen.

The Pioneers still nab the series over the Vikings though, by sweeping the doubleheader yesterday at Frame Park. Carroll will continue CCIW play next week as the conference schedule moves forward with a 3-game series against Illinois Wesleyan scheduled for Friday and Saturday.