Box Score FT. MYERS, Florida – For the second time in as many days the 24th ranked Augustana baseball team dropped an extra inning opponent. Bethel scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning to hang a 4-1 loss on the Vikings at Player Development Park in Ft. Myers, Florida on Saturday, March 22.
 
Just one day after losing to Plymouth State 4-3 in eight innings (of a scheduled seven inning game), Augustana was unable to generate much offense against two Royal hurlers and it proved costly. The Vikings only collected nine hits in 11 innings and five of those came in the last three frames.
 
With the game tied 1-1 heading into the top of the 11th, Bethel used three walks (one of them intentional) and a two-RBI single by third baseman Logan Lisle to put three runs up in the frame. Augustana got a lead-off double from senior Grant Stewart (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) in the bottom of the 11th but could not produce any runs.
 
Freshman Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) took the loss after working two innings in relief. He is now 1-1 on the year.
 
Junior Seth Davis (J.K. Mullen HS, Aurora, Colo.) got the start for the Vikings and he worked seven innings and gave up just one run and four hits while walking two and striking out nine. The winner in relief for Bethel was Chris Hall, who worked three innings and scattered five hits while striking out four. Augustana left seven runners on base against him during his time on the mound, including the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Royals scored their one run off Davis in the bottom of the second when Mike Schultz was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second and came home on a single off the bat of Grant Anders.
 
Augustana tied it in the eighth of Bethel starter Tyler Heitmann. Junior Kyle Lenihan (Romeoville HS, Romeoville, Ill.) opened things with a walk and eventually scored on a two out single by sophomore second baseman Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.).
 
No Viking collected multiple hits in the game and Augustana committed three errors in the contest.
 
The Vikings will play Knox at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 23 in Ft. Myers before resuming the schedule on Wednesday, March 26 at home against Rockford in a non-conference game at 6:00 p.m.