CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park opened College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play with a strong all-around performance, defeating North Central 4-1 on Tuesday afternoon at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The Vikings' pitching staff set the tone from the outset, and sophomore second baseman Kupono Akaka delivered the biggest swings of the game as North Park improved to 9–6 on the season.
Starter Jackson Nuese worked through traffic in nearly every inning but continuously delivered the pitches he needed. He stranded a runner on third in the first, pitched around a walk and hit-by-pitch in the second, and retired the side in order in the third. Even when North Central threatened in the fourth and fifth, Nuese forced soft contact and fly balls to navigate out of trouble, assisted by some big plays in the outfield. One of those plays was a diving snag by junior center fielder Noa Fujitani.
In six full innings, Nuese allowed just three hits and no earned runs, striking out four while keeping the Cardinals off the board.
The North Park offense broke through in the fifth after being held hitless through the first four frames. Singles from Vinnie Marvucic and Fabian Cruz put runners on first and second, and a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. That set the stage for Akaka, who turned on a pitch and drove a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
Moments later, Taylor Joseph delivered a single up the middle to score Akaka, completing a three-run inning that gave North Park plenty to get excited about.
North Central pushed across an unearned run in the seventh on an outfield error, but the Vikings answered right away. Akaka opened the bottom half of the inning with a single to right, then Joseph followed with another base hit. A sacrifice bunt from Rylan Kawakami moved Akaka to third, and Reyn Matsuzaki lined a run-scoring single to left-center to restore the three-run advantage.
From there, the North Park bullpen took over. Zach Price entered in the seventh and worked through a defensive miscue to record three outs without allowing an earned run. In the eighth and ninth, Ethan Condit overpowered North Central's hitters, allowing just one hit while striking out four to secure his second save of the season and ninth of his career, moving into second all-time at North Park.
Together, Nuese, Price, and Condit combined to hold the Cardinals to one unearned run on four total hits, stranding twelve runners.
Akaka's performance provided the offensive spark, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a momentum-shifting double in a career performance, while also contributing three putouts and two assists in the field. Marvucic added two hits and a run, Joseph posted a two-hit, two-RBI afternoon, and John Greenwood contributed a pair of hits including a double.
Top Players
North Park
- Kupono Akaka (2B): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B
- Jackson Nuese (P): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 4 K — Win
- Ethan Condit (P): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K — Save
- Vinnie Marvucic (RF): 2-for-3, 1 R, BB
- Taylor Joseph (SS): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
- Reyn Matsuzaki (C): 2-for-5, RBI
Top Players — North Central
- Caleb Coberley (LF): 2-for-3, 2 BB
- Jackson Bland (2B/1B): 1-for-4, 2B
- Owen Ziaja (3B): 1-for-4
- Payton Diaz (P): 6.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 6 K
What's Next?
North Park (9-6, 1-0 CCIW) quickly moves on in conference play, hosting Carthage College (5-7) on Friday, March 20, for another 3:30 PM game at Holmgren.
