CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park baseball enjoyed early offense and emerging performances on the mound to grab a 7-3 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Tuesday afternoon back at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The Vikings scored in each of the first three innings, building a 7-1 lead they would not relinquish thanks to another strong day for sophomore shortstop Kupono Akaka, who reached base four times, recorded two hits, drove in a run, and scored twice while also handling five assists without an error at shortstop. The Vikings are now on a six-game win streak and have won 11 of their past 12 games.
North Park starter Jacob Titsworth set an early tone, retiring the Titans in order in the top of the first and allowing just one hit across his opening two innings. In the bottom half of the first, the Vikings struck when senior second baseman Rylan Kawakami cracked a double to center and came around to score after an infield error. Titsworth continued to cruise, using soft contact and help from his defense to keep the Titans at bay. By the time UW-Oshkosh broke through in the fourth with a solo home run, Titsworth had faced the minimum in three of his five innings, finishing with four strikeouts, no walks, and three hits allowed en route to his second win of the season.
North Park's offense was sparked by Akaka's first trip to the plate. After he drew a walk to start the inning, senior center fielder Joe Perona legged out an infield single and another walk loaded the bases for sophomore first baseman John Greenwood, who lined a two-run single down the left-field line to score Akaka and Perona. The Vikings added two more runs in the third, beginning with a Fabian Cruz single and a Vinnie Marvucic base hit to right. Akaka followed with a single to center that scored Cruz, and a fielding error allowed Marvucic and Akaka to advance into scoring position. Moments later, senior third baseman Eli Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to center, and junior left fielder Noa Fujitani clubbed an RBI single through the left side to bring home Akaka for a 5-1 lead. Perona added another single to right, and after a pitching change, Greenwood walked, and junior catcher Reyn Matsuzaki was hit by a pitch to force in another run. North Park's fourth run of the inning came when Fujitani crossed the plate on the same play, extending the lead to 7-1.
After Titsworth completed five strong innings, the Vikings handed the ball to sophomore Dawson Nuese, who allowed only three hits over 2.1 innings in his first outing at Holmgren while striking out one and forcing plenty of groundballs. Oshkosh threatened in the sixth when they put a runner on third, but Nuese induced a routine groundout to Akaka to end the inning. The Titans finally broke through against him in the eighth with a two-run home run, but North Park's bullpen shut the door from there.
Right-hander Zach Price delivered the cleanest inning of the day, entering with one out in the eighth and striking out the first batter he faced. He returned for the ninth and struck out two more, allowing only a single before ending the game on a swinging strikeout to secure the Vikings' win. Between Titsworth, Nuese, and Price, North Park pitchers combined for eight strikeouts, no walks, and only eight hits allowed across nine innings.
Top Performers
North Park
- Kupono Akaka – 2-for-2, 2 runs, RBI, 2 walks, SAC bunt, 5 assists, error-free
- Jacob Titsworth – 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 4 K, 0 BB
- Zach Price – 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K, 0 R
- Joe Perona – 2-for-5, reached three times
- John Greenwood – 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 walks, reached base three times
- Vinnie Marvucic – 3-for-5, two runs scored, hit-by-pitch
UW-Oshkosh
- Logan Schill – 3-for-5, HR, 2 runs, stolen base
- Jack McNamara – 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, double
What's Next?
North Park (13-6, 3-0 CCIW) moves back into league play by traveling to Waukesha, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 28, for a doubleheader at Carroll University (11-7). First pitch at Frame Park is set for 1:00 PM CT.
