Stypulkowski Home Run Powers King’s Academy Past Park Vista

John Monte went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the win.

King’s Academy earned a big win Thursday as Kevin Stypulkowski hit a three-run home run to power the Lions to a 5-2 win over Park Vista.

The ballgame was tied 2-2 heading into the sixth inning. Both King’s Academy starter Matt Pisciottano and Park Vista starter Jeremy Graf were still in the game.

The visiting Park Vista Cobras began the inning with a single into the right-center gap off the bat of Taylor Walsh. After a fly out to the right fielder, the Cobras tried to put the pressure on the Lions defense. Walsh broke for second on a Pisciottano delivery but King’s Academy catcher Kevin Stypulkowski fired the ball down to second in time for the out. Following the failed steal attempt, Shane Bussey legged out an infield single for the Cobras. He, too, took a big lead and attempted to steal second, but again Stypulkowski threw the runner out, effectively ending the threat.

“That pumped me up, because I haven’t had the chance to throw out too many runners,” Stypulkowski there haven’t been too many stealing,” the senior Stypulkowski said.

“We also had a couple of huge plays by our shortstop [Joe Gomez] that helped keep us in it.”

Re-energized by their defensive play, the Lions came out roaring in the home half of the sixth. With one out, lead-off man Ryan Boyle hit a single to right and Joe Gomez followed with a walk. Cobras starter Jeremy Graf was fatigued from five and a third innings of work, so Park Vista head coach Larry Greenstein called on senior Kyle Weeks to come in to face the Lions’ three hitter, Stypulkowski. Stypulkowski sent a second-pitch slider screaming over the right-field fence to put his team up 5-2 with the three-run home run.

“I had a couple of bad at-bats at the beginning of the game, but I got a slider down and in and put a good swing on it,” said Stypulkowski in a bit of an understatement.

Park Vista tried to muster a comeback in the top of the seventh, but the effort stalled when King’s Academy shortstop Joe Gomez made a great sliding play on a sharp grounder up the middle, followed by an accurate throw to first. Matt Pisciottano also struck out a batter and forced a fly out to right field to round out the seventh and close out the complete game.

The Lions’ 5-2 victory gives them seven wins on the season to six losses. Park Vista falls to 9-3 with the loss.

Pisciottano faced 31 batters in all. He struck out four, walked only three and allowed just two runs against a talented Cobras lineup.

The first of Park Vista’s two runs came from Brett Lashley, who walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch that allowed him to come home from third.

Matt Paciello scored the second run when first baseman Jason DeFelice drove an RBI double to right field in the second inning.

Shane Bussey led the team in hits, going 2-for-2 with a walk on the day.

After the game, Coach Greenstein reflected on his team’s effort.

“They’re a good team, but we’re in a mini funk I would say,” Greenstein said. “We’re just not quite doing the things that we came out of the gate doing so well. Sometimes when things go so well, you take it for granted that things are going to just happen, but you still have to make it happen. I think we were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. When you don’t score runs, you’re not going to win too many ballgames.”

King’s Academy head coach Doug Magaw saw his team take advantage of scoring opportunities.

“Nothing beats timely hitting, and Stypulkowski is the guy we want at the plate in that situation, there’s no doubt about it,” Magaw said.

He also praised Pisciottano for keeping the Cobras at bay: “[Matt] struggled a bit early, but we challenged him and said ‘You know what, you can’t be putting the first guy on every inning.’ He went out there and battled. He reached real deep. He gets no nights off. He sees all our best opponents, and we’re very proud of the way he responded.”

King’s Academy will try to keep its momentum going into next week’s tournament in Sanford during their spring break.

Park Vista will attempt to get back on the right track against Okeechobee in a day game Saturday.

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