The O’Neal baseball team showed that it can score runs in bunches when it pounded Northwood Academy 15-2 in five innings Thursday.

The homestanding Falcons (3-5, 0-3 Cape Fear Independent Conference) jumped all over the Eagles from the start. After posting two runs in the first and another in the second, O’Neal scored six runs in the third and fourth innings to finish it off early.

Matt Schoemmell turned in a solid performance on the hill, working all five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) and just two hits while walking four and striking out nine.

Head coach Sam Amato said his team took some lumps early in the season and faces stiff competition in conference, but thinks it is starting to gain some confidence.

“We’re winning our non-conference games and we’ve won two out of three,” he said. “We feel good about that.”

Leadoff man Joseph Taylor sent a double into center field to start the offensive barrage. Jonathan Bowling followed that up with a single, and Jordan Hunt scored Taylor on a sacrifice fly. Martin Zigovsky had an RBI double that scored Jonathan Bowling.

Taylor, who finished the day with three hits and four runs, just missed a home run in the bottom of the second, instead legging out a triple. He later scored on a passed ball that resulted in a bang-bang play at the plate.

The Falcon lead ballooned to 9-1 in the bottom of the third, powered by RBIs from Charlie Johnson, Taylor, Bowling and Hunt.

The bottom of the fourth was a repeat performance. Johnson led off with a single, followed by another one-bagger by Zigovsky. Jake Lange walked, and Johnson scored on a passed ball.

Dylan Andrews drove in a run with a double and Schoemmell added another with a sacrifice. An RBI triple from Hunt made it 14-2 and Brandt Davis scored him with a single.

Northwood Temple scored two runs, both on errors.

O’Neal is scheduled to host Fayetteville Christian Monday.

Contact John Krahnert III at sports@thepilot.com.