VERO BEACH, Fla. – North Park University spoiled Gettysburg College's first appearance on the diamond this spring, rallying for seven runs in the eighth inning to get by the Bullets 10-6 on Sunday.
 
With its previous three attempts to take the field thwarted by the weather in Pennsylvania, Gettysburg (0-1) began its season in Florida against a North Park (4-4) team already with seven games under its belt. The Bullets put up six runs in the third inning, but the Vikings rallied by sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs in the eighth of Sunday's game.
 
Junior Dominick Gasparro (Clarksburg, N.J./Princeton Day School) tallied a pair of base hits along with a run and RBI to lead the Bullets. Junior Ryan LaCoe (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) plated three runs with a bases-clearing triple, while sophomore Sean Murphy (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) reached base twice via a hit and walk and stole a base.
 
Cullen Robertson reached base five times with three hits and two walks and drove in four runs for North Park. The Viking pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts with Ethan Sund and Andy Robbins blanking the Bullets over the final 6.1 innings.
 
North Park struck for two runs in the top of the third. After a hit-by-pitch, walk, and sacrifice to advance the runners, Gilbertson welcomed new pitcher Will Wortmann (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane) to the game with a two-run single. The Vikings loaded the bags, but Wortmann induced a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the jam.
 
The Bullets came right back with their bats in the bottom of the frame. Following a strikeout to open the inning, the next six batters reached base for Gettysburg with Gasparro driving home the team's first run with a single and LaCoe clearing the bases with a three-run triple. Junior Joe Giovinco (Stirling, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) scored LaCoe with a base hit and later scored on a throwing error to give the Bullets a 6-2 lead.
 
The Vikings cut into the lead with a run in the fifth and were poised for more with the bases loaded, but Giovinco scooped up a grounder at second and threw to first for another inning-ending double play.
 
With Sund scattering five Gettysburg hits over his five innings of work, North Park positioned itself to take the lead in the eighth. Each of the first 10 batters managed to reach base with Gilbertson putting the Vikings in front 7-6 with a two-run triple. Two more extra-base hits scored runs and a single by Brandon Davis scored the game's final run. The Bullets turned another double play, their third of the game, to end the threat.
 
Gettysburg put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the inning, but Sund and Robbins fanned the final two hitters to end the inning.
 
The Bullets will look to rebound with a doubleheader against Western Connecticut State University Monday beginning at 11 a.m.