DAVENPORT, Florida - The Mount St. Joseph University baseball team wrapped up their 2026 trip to the RussMatt Invitational with a game against North Park, the Lions jumped out to an early lead but fell 8-7.
Austin Buckle led off the game with a base hit lacing the games first pitch into left field. A pair of quick outs later, Buckle was picked off at first base to end the inning.
The Lions sent junior right-hander
Josh Isaacs to the Mound to start the game. North Park got the scoring started with a leadoff homerun to open the bottom of the 1st inning. Their second batter singled into center, he was quickly erased via a caught stealing. From that point Issacs settled in, he would eventually pitch the front 4.0 innings allowing 5 hits and only the one earned run.
In the bottom of the second inning the Lions scored five times with only two hits.
Brennan Martin,
Will Record,
Jackson Gutzwiller and Zach Clow each walked to start the inning, with Clow's walk driving in the first run of the inning.
Jack Robinson lifted a sacrifice fly into center field and
AJ Meyer hit an RBI groundout to first base. Buckle finished the scoring off with an RBI triple into right field.
They added two more in the top of the third inning, Martin led off again with a walk and Record followed with a single. After a Gutzwiller sacrifice bunt, Clow drilled a two-run single to left.
From that point the Lions offense went dormant, they were unable to score over the games final six innings allowing North Park to climb back into it. They scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to bring the score to 7-5. The Vikings would add one in the sixth, seventh and eighth inning to secure the 8-7 win.
UP NEXT: The Lions will head home to Cincinnati where they will have a few days off before beginning HCAC play next Saturday with a home double-header vs. Berea at Midland Field.
