Thanks to Dr. Dennis Bricault for providing the historical info
AUBURNDALE, Fla.-- North Park baseball's All-Region righty Ethan Sund struck out half the batters he faced in a shutout win over #9 UT-Dallas in a very late Sunday night.
The Comets, who held a record of 15-1 and nine slot in this week's d3baseball.com top 25 poll entering the contest, must not have seen anything like Sund in their 16 games played this season. Sund punched out 12 hitters through 4.2 innings, including a rare four-strikeout inning in the second.
Earlier, North Park manufactured a run in the top half of the third inning. Third baseman Jim Zay singled to left field before advancing on a wild pitch. Next, right fielder Cole Fiorenza singled into right field, putting runners at the corners. Shortstop Reece Arakaki drove home the first run of the evening on a fielder's choice, putting NPU up 1-0.
Meanwhile, Sund continued to pitch perfectly. He worked flawless 6th and 7th innings before an 8th-inning single up the middle by Comet catcher Deylan Moreno would account for the first hit against him. UT-Dallas moved up Moreno on a sacrifice bunt, threatening with a runner in scoring position. Next, an infield groundout put a Comet runner on third base for the first time in the evening. In an 0-2 count, UT-Dallas second baseman Ramon Garza put a charge in one to center field, but Carson Blatchford came off the bench ready to make a play, as he dove backwards on the warning track to make a big-time catch.
Sund kept the ball for the final inning of the night, looking to sit down three more Comet hitters. UT-Dallas left fielder AJ Liu led the ninth inning off with a barreled fly ball into right field, but Fiorenza would leap against the chain link fence to keep the bases clear for Sund. Sund obliged, inducing popups to secure a 1-0 win and upset of UT-Dallas.
Historical Note:
Sund's 16-strikeout performance is good for second all-time for the NPU baseball program. He surpassed Kenny Blanchard's 15-K outing on April 4, 2015, against Millikin University. Steve Kuligowski holds the single-game record with a 17-K performance on March 19, 2011, against St. Lawrence University.
Quick Hits:
- Sund has K'd 21 batters and allowed just one earned run in his last 15 innings pitched, both against Top 10 opponents
- Fiorenza 3-for-5 and the only player on either side with a multi-hit performance
- Game-winning RBI for Reece Arakaki
- Errorless defense for the Vikings, coupled with big plays in the outfield
What's Next?
North Park (3-7) will take on TCNJ tomorrow, March 14, at Chain of Lakes Park Stadium. First pitch is set for 10 AM EST.
