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player ready...The Southland Vikings had an answer for every run the Joliet Admirals put on the board Thursday night.
They just didn’t have a response for the setting sun.
With the game tied at 6 heading into the 12th inning, the officiating crew called it a night due to a lack of visibility. The Vikings and Admirals will look to finish the game before one of their upcoming meetings.
The next matchup between the Midwest Collegiate League rivals is slated for July 10, again at Hap Bruno Field in Chicago Heights.
“This is the first tie I’ve been a part of due to sunlight,” Southland manager Tony Sanchez said. “Our plan is to try to finish this game before one of our other scheduled games with these guys. We’re going to keep the same roster and everything, make sure we keep record of it, and then go right into the next game.”
It’s a testament to the Vikings (6-11) that the game is still up for grabs. The Admirals (6-9) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, a 3-2 lead in the fourth, a 5-3 advantage in the eighth and a 6-5 lead in the 11th.
It was never enough to put the Vikings away.
Clark Brinkman was responsible for two Southland rallies. Brinkman knocked in Chris Pikoulas and scored on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning to knot the action at 2.
“That’s the slowest inside-the-park home run I’ve ever had, that’s for sure,” said Brinkman, who plays in college for Dayton. “But it was cool watching it and cool hitting it.”
Originally, it appeared Brinkman would have a ground-rule double when the Admirals’ outfield couldn’t locate the ball near the fence. He slowly trotted home.
“I was looking out there and I saw the center fielder put his hands up, so I figured ground-rule double,” Brinkman said. “But you’re always taught to touch home just in case something happens, and then the center fielder went out there and picked the ball up. You’re never supposed to do that.”
Brinkman (2-for-4, 3 RBIs) added a sacrifice fly that scored Pikoulas in the eighth inning to cut Joliet’s lead 5-4. A single from Luis Avila (3-for-5) drove in Jesse Forestell (Homewood-Flossmoor) three batters later.
“Our offense did well,” said Brinkman, who was recently named to the MCL All-Star Game. “We came back and fought through ’em until the 11th inning, and then we came back again.”
Jordan Young, Joe Plaud, Trevor Henderson and Robby Nunn split time on the mound for the Vikings.
Plaud stood out with three scoreless innings while surrendering one hit. He retired seven straight batters — three with strikeouts — before Henderson came on in relief to start the eighth.
“I was trying to pound the zone and attack those guys,” Plaud said. “I was real comfortable. It was a good outing.
“I was pretty surprised they called the game. I thought we could have played one more. It stinks we couldn’t pull out the victory, but it was nice to see (our offense) battle back like that.”
It’s a quick turnaround for the Vikings, who are set to face the visiting DuPage County Hounds at 1 p.m. Friday.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.