GEORGETOWN, Tex. – The North Park baseball team was swept in its opening weekend by Southwestern University (TX) this Friday and Saturday.
The Vikings' start to the season was off to a good start on Friday when they scratched three runs across the board in the second inning. Garrett Bragg drew a walk while Jim Zay followed up with an infield single. Next, Cole Fiorenza chopped another infield single to load the bases for Reece Arakaki, who sent Bragg home with an RBI groundout. The next two runs were scored by pinch runner Chris Kahle on a wild pitch and a successful double steal by Fiorenza.
Meanwhile, Viking starter Bobby Bartlett navigated three scoreless innings before the Pirates knocked a leadoff triple and handful of singles to tie the game in the fourth inning. This tie would hold all the way to the ninth. North Park had an opportunity to go ahead but left a pair of runners on to end their half of the ninth. The Pirates took advantage of this in their half, clipping a walk-off, run-scoring single.
In game one of Saturday's doubleheader, everything looked good for the Vikings. Carlos Martinez walked and scored on error in the second inning while Justin Swanson and Alex Divito scored unearned runs in the fourth inning. The Vikings further extended their 3-0 lead in the fifth inning when Carson Blatchford was hit by a pitch and moved up on Arakaki's sac bunt. Bartlett drew a walk and advanced home on a passed ball. Now, with the bases loaded after Nathan Sommerfeld was hit by a pitch, Martinez fought in a two-strike count before cranking a grand slam.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Pirates totaled 10 runs in the fifth, five in the sixth, and six in the seventh to steal a 21-8 win.
Game two also went the Pirates' way with a 12-4 win. A bright spot in the game was a 4-for-5 game for Arakaki and extra-base hit for Swanson.
Quick Hits:
- Five hits for Arakaki on the weekend
- Martinez slugs .714 with the grand slam and draws five walks
- Two stolen bases for Swanson
- Tyler Banks strikes out seven in his season debut, Bartlett punches out four
What's Next?
North Park (0-3) heads to Memphis for three more games next weekend. The Vikings open with host Rhodes at 2:00 PM on Friday, Feb. 24.
