Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FT. MYERS, Florida – Augustana rebounded from a 4-3, extra inning loss in game one to defeat Plymouth State 8-3 in the second game of a double header on the Vikings' second spring-break trip of the season in Ft. Myers, Florida on Friday, March 21. The Vikings, now 7-3 on the season, came into the twin-bill ranked 24th in the latest NCAA Division III national poll.
 
Junior third baseman Kyle Lenihan (Romeoville HS, Romeoville, Ill.) was the offensive standout for Augustana as he collected five hits in the double header. Sophomore Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) was the hard-luck loser in game one while sophomore Walter White (East Peoria HS, East Peoria, Ill.) was the winner in the second game.
 
The Vikings will play Bethel in a single game on Saturday, March 22 at the Player Development Complex in Ft. Myers.
 
GAME 1 – PLYMOUTH STATE 4, AUGUSTANA 3
 
Eric Leitch socked a one out double in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Brian Thompson, who had singled to open the frame, to give Plymouth State a 4-3 victory over Augustana in the first of two games on Friday, March 21 in Ft. Myers, Florida. Leitch's hit ruined a fine relief performance by Morgenstern, who worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up just the one run on three hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter as he fell to 1-1 on the year.
 
He came on in the bottom of the third in relief of starter Darwin Townsend (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) and when he entered the contest two runs were in and a runner was on second base. He struck out Jeff Runnals to end the third and then did not allow a run until the eighth. He also worked his way out of a tough jam in the bottom of the sixth when the first two runners reached on an error and a single. With runners on second and third, Runnals lifted a fly ball to left that was caught by Augustana's junior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) Fifer's relay through to Lenihan was then rifled to junior catcher Nick Tenerelli (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.). Tenerelli's tag of the Panthers' Jarek Krajewski completed the double play. Morgenstern got the next batter to strike out to end the threat.
 
Augustana struck first with two runs in the top of the second. With one out Lenihan singled and stole second. He went to third on a single by junior Jacques Camalick (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.). Camalick stole second and Lenihan came home on the throw. A single by sophomore Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) brought home Camalick for a 2-0 Viking lead.
 
That lead was short-lived, however, as Plymouth State scored on in the second and two in the third to take a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Vikings tied things in the top of the sixth when Fifer reached on an error to lead things off and eventually scored on a single by Lenihan.
 
Lenihan was three for three with run scored and a walk to lead the offensive attack. Camalick added two hits.
 
GAME 2 – AUGUSTANA 8, PLYMOUTH STATE 3
 
White worked 5 2/3 innings and gave up one unearned run on just four hits with three strikeouts to pick up the victory. The Vikings led 6-0 heading into the top of the sixth before the Panthers scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh. Freshman reliever Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) gave up two unearned runs in the seventh but struck out Krajewski with two runners aboard to end the game.
 
Augustana struck early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out junior Brandon Jasper (DeWitt Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) walked and Fifer reached on a throwing error and moved to second while Jasper scampered to third. Both players scored on a single by senior first baseman Grant Stewart (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.).
 
A ringing double by Fifer in the second keyed a three run outburst to make it 5-0. In the fourth Gingerich led off with a double that hugged the right field line and came home on a single by Jasper.
After Plymouth broke through with a single run in the top of the sixth, the Vikings put two on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Jacob Van Duyne (Wilmington HS, Wilmington, Ill.) singled and went to second on a single by Jasper. Van Duyne came home on Fifer's single while Jasper moved to third. Jasper scored on a passed ball.
 
Jasper had three hits to lead the offense while Van Duyne, Fifer and Lenihan each had two as the Augustana offense pounded out 12 safeties in the game.
 
White picked up the victory and moved to 2-0 on the year.