One big inning propelled North Park past Kenyon College, 11-1, on Friday in Fort Myers.
The Lords threatened early against starter Nick Soldano, but he worked around a single and a bloop double to escape the first inning unscathed. Soldano followed up by ending the next three scoreless innings with a strikeout.
The Vikings took a while to find their bearings against Kenyon's Paul Henshaw, who held them hitless through 3 1/3 innings. With one out in the fourth, Tommy Endres drew a walk, moved up on a groundout and scored on the first Viking hit, a single by Mike Coduto.
Kenyon tied the score in the top of the fifth on an unearned run. An error and a single put runners on first and second, but Soldano picked the lead runner off while the trailer moved tosecond on the play, took third on a groundout, and scored on a passed ball.
North Park would send 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth. With one away, Connor Sarant walked and Zak Worsley reached on catcher's interference. A perfect bunt by Eric Sousanes loaded the bases, and a wild pitch allowed therunners to advance and give the Vikings a 2-1 lead. After Endres walked to load the bases, Joe Belmonte lined a single to center that was misplayed, allowing two runs to score. A Dan Sabin two-run double made it 6-1. Coduto hit a groundball to short, but the catcher dropped the ball as Sabin slid in, and Coduto raced to second. Mario Creecy doubled to drive in Coduto. Creecy moved up on a groundout by Dan Anderson and scored when Sarant's groundball was bobbled at second.
The Vikings added a pair of runs in the eighth. Sousanes led off with a walk, stole second and third, and came in on a throwing error. Sabin hit a two-out single, and pinch runner Nathan Clarke stole second and scored on Coduto's second hit of the game.
Soldano cruised through the next two innings, allowing two singles but picking one runner off. Alex Vannucci and Jimmy Roach each hurled a scoreless inning of relief in their respective first appearance for the Viking varsity squad.
Soldano evened his season record at 1-1 with a seven-inning performance in which he scattered seven hits, allowed one walk, struck out six, gave up no earned runs,and picked off two runners. Sabin and Coduto had two-hit games; Coduto drove in three runs and Belmonte and Sabin, two apiece.