Sharks 4, Northview 2 (Game 1)

In the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, the Sharks scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the Northview Vikings, 4-2. Jacob Perrin drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt single and pitched three shutout innings in relief of Wesley Semkin to earn his first varsity win.

Northview’s only runs came in the top of the first. With runners on first and second via a walk and a single, Will Davis tripled to the fence in right center to knock in Javier Lizarraga and Julian Galindo. Semkin retired Tony Mancuso to strand Davis on third and then proceeded to shut out the Vikings the rest of the way before turning the game over to Perrin at the start of the fifth inning.

The Sharks put together a two-out rally in the first as Brooks Fitch singled to right and Stephen Williams walked, but Jared Weinstock, making his first start of the season, grounded to second to end the inning.

After going down in order in the second inning, the Sharks got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Colbie Bell reached on an infield hit. Fitch followed with a run-scoring double to left center. The inning ended on the same play, however, when the relay from the outfield was redirected to second base where Fitch was tagged out after rounding the bag too far.

Perrin led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to right, but he was stranded there when Northview pitcher Brad McGuire struck out the next three Sharks batters.

With Malibu down 2-1, Bell led off the bottom of the sixth with his second hit of the game. He advanced to third when Fitch picked up his third hit of the game, a single to center. Williams followed with a single through the middle of the diamond that scored Bell and moved Tony Gwyn, running for Fitch, to second. Weinstock beat out a bunt to load the bases. With an opportunity to drive in his younger brother for the first time, Mike Gwyn grounded into 4-2-3 double play that left the score tied with runners on second and third and two outs. Perrin then pushed Williams across with the go-ahead run on a perfectly executed bunt past the pitcher’s mound. Ross Ellis followed with a single to left that scored Weinstock with an important insurance run.

Perrin, who gave up only one infield hit over three innings of relief, shut down the Vikings in the top of the seventh to nail down the Sharks’ third win of the season.