14 walks killed an undermanned Southland Vikings (16-20) team as they lost the lead twice to lose to the Chicago Zephyrs (14-21).

It took a while for either team to crack the scoreboard. Shane Brown (0-1) started for the Vikings and pitched five scoreless innings while striking out four. The Vikings scored three in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Elliott Armstrong as well as a 2-run double from Chris Stevens.

But the Zephyrs came back in the sixth by scoring five runs off of Viking reliever Noah Anderson (0-2). The Vikings responded in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI by Jessie Wiggins and a 2-run double from Micah Rooke. They added one more in the seventh with an RBI single by Vince Parisi to take a 7-5 lead.

In the top of the eighth, however, the wheels came off for the Vikings’ relief pitching as Anderson as well as George Kantzian (0-0) gave up the lead. Walks were the main issue for the duo as they walked a combined ten hitters. In fact, the Zephyrs did not record a hit in the eighth inning but scored three runs. The Vikings were unable to come back and fell to the Zephyrs, 8-7.

The offense continued to shine for the Vikings as they recorded 13 hits. Parisi led the way, going 3 for 5 with one run scored and one RBI while Stevens went 1 for 5 with one run scored and two RBIs. Alan Frank (2-1) picked up the complete-game win despite giving up six earned runs on 13 hits.

The Vikings now hold a game and a half lead over the Zephyrs for the final playoff spot. They will look to get back on track Saturday night when they host the DeKalb County Liners (23-14). The Vikings lead the series between the two teams, 2-1.