AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The North Park University baseball team opened play at the Russ Matt Invitational with a seven-inning doubleheader split with the University of Mount Union Raiders, falling in game one, 4-3, before earning a convincing 9-0 win in game two.
Game 1: Mount Union 4, North Park 3
To start the doubleheader, starters Matt Pizur and Thomas Gallant went to battle, tossing zeros through the first three innings of game one.
In the top of the fourth, the Raiders struck for their first two runs of the game. With two outs Gallant helped himself out with an RBI single into left-center before another RBI single capped the Raiders' scoring.
Mount Union tacked on one more run in the fifth inning, as the Vikings' chances were waning.
In the sixth inning, junior center fielder Jared Cantu led off the inning by scorching a double down the left field line and sophomore right fielder Logan Peters drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate.
Following a pitching change, senior shortstop Jake Reinhardt stayed hot at the plate, launching the first pitch he saw over the left-center field fence for a game-tying home run.

Unfortunately, Mount Union led off the seventh inning with a double and crossed the plate on an infield error, regaining a 4-3 lead.
The Vikings threatened in their half of the inning on a pinch-hit single from sophomore Ryan Moritsugu but Mount Union would escape with the 4-3 win.
FINAL: Mount Union 4, North Park 3
Game 2: North Park 9, Mount Union 0
The Vikings wasted no time in the first inning of game two, thanks to a significant amount of help from the Raiders' defense. The Vikings brought home six runners on just two hits as Mount Union committed three errors and hit four NPU batters.
North Park added run support in the fourth inning when Peters legged out an infield single and Reinhardt slugged a triple down the right field line. Next, senior third baseman Justin Woolbright lobbed a deep fly ball to the left field warning track to plate Reinhardt. Freshman first baseman Bobby Bartlett capped the scoring with a single into right field, later scoring on an RBI triple by senior left fielder Brandon Davis.
In his second start of the season, junior right-hander Ethan Sund was untouchable. Sund twirled seven innings of four-hit no-run baseball, striking out 11 batters while walking just one.

Unable to get anything going off Sund, the Vikings earned a convincing 9-0 victory.
FINAL: North Park 9, Mount Union 0
Quick Hits:
- Reinhardt and Davis both picked up three hits on the day
- Reinhardt also marked the first Viking homer of the season
- Senior right-hander Jake Morris threw 2.1 innings and allowed just two hits in his hard-luck loss from an unearned run
- Sund tossed a seven-inning shutout with 11 strikeouts
What's Next?
North Park (3-5) continues action at the Russ Matt Invitational today, March 8, against the University of Dubuque Spartans. First pitch is set for 4:30 EST.