DAVENPORT, Fla. -- North Park Baseball exploded for 16 runs in the first four innings and rode a long outing from left-hander Jason Schmierer to defeat Mount Saint Mary (NY) 19-7 in a seven-inning shortgame to begin the RussMatt Invitational on Thursday morning. The win extends the Vikings' win streak to four-straight games.
The Vikings scored in six of their eight turns at the plate and posted 15 hits, including six doubles, a triple, and a three-run home run by junior catcher Reyn Matsuzaki.
North Park immediately pressured Mount Saint Mary starter Kyle Fives, producing a three-run first inning:
In the second inning, the Vikings broke the game open with a five-run burst. After a hit-by-pitch and consecutive singles by senior center fielder Joe Perona and Joseph loaded the bases, Greenwood punched a two-run single to center. Matsuzaki then delivered the biggest swing of the game with a three-run home run to left, growing the lead to 8-1.
North Park continued its onslaught in the third. Junior left fielder Noa Fujitani walked, senior third baseman Eli Johnson walked, and sophomore second baseman Kupono Akaka doubled to right-center, the first extra-base hit of his career, to score one. Perona followed with a two-RBI single, and Matsuzaki added a sacrifice fly to make it 12-1.
The fourth inning brought four more Vikings runs. A pair of plunkings put two aboard, and Perona drilled an RBI double to right. Joseph singled in two more, and after another walk and a passed ball, Joseph came home on a balk. By the end of the frame, North Park led 16-1 and had recorded runs in each of the first four innings.
NPU junior left-hander Jason Schmierer was sharp through six innings, allowing just two runs while scattering hits and navigating an error behind him in the first. He struck out seven, including consective punchouts in the opening frame, and induced key groundouts and a pickoff in the third inning. Through his first six innings, Schmierer allowed only single runs in the first and sixth while preventing Mount Saint Mary from getting anything going at the plate.
Freshman reliever Matthew Mendez recorded the final two outs of the seventh, marking his second collegiate appearance on the hill.
North Park tacked on runs in the sixth (Rylan Li double; Griffin Acevedo RBI single) and seventh (Griffin Acevedo scoring on a wild pitch).
The Vikings' offense featured contributions throughout the lineup—10 different players reached base, and seven recorded an RBI.
TOP PERFORMERS
North Park
- Joe Perona: 3-for-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB
- John Greenwood: 2-for-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 BB
- Reyn Matsuzaki: HR, 4 RBI, SAC fly
- Vinnie Marvucic: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, HBP
- Taylor Joseph: 2-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
- Kupono Akaka: RBI double, 2 R
- Rylan Li: Pinch-hit double, run scored
- Griffin Acevedo: Pinch-hit RBI single
Pitching:
Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.)
- Nico Simou: 3-for-3, 2 R, RBI
- Christian Parisa: Triple, run scored
- Chris Kiamos: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI (off bench)
- Leo Giancaspro: Pinch-hit double and run scored
WHAT'S NEXT?
North Park (6-5) heads back to Northeast Regional Park tomorrow, March 13, to continue their spring trip against College of St. Scholastica (7-3). First pitch in Davenport is set for 9:30 AM ET.
