Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MOLINE, Ill. – In a mid-week College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin double header, Augustana split with North Central on Tuesday, April 1 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Vikings took the opening game 6-3 behind the complete game pitching performance from sophomore Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.). Augustana dropped a wild one in the second game by a score of 8-7 when North Central scored the eventual winning run in the top of the ninth.
 
The Vikings are now 11-6 overall and 3-2 in the CCIW while North Central moves to 12-5 and 4-1. Augustana will play a weekend league series against Elmhurst with a double header slated for Saturday, April 5 beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Elmhurst, Illinois. The single game will be Sunday, April 6 at Swanson/Brunner at 1:00 p.m.
 
GAME 1 – Augustana 6, North Central 3
 
After allowing two runs to the Cardinals in the top of the first inning, Morgenstern settled down and was in complete control the rest of the way. He finished the day by scattering 10 hits, striking out three and walking nobody. In the first he gave up three hits but held the damage to just two runs.
 
The only other run scored off him came in the top of the eighth and it was unearned. It was his first collegiate start and is now 2-1 on the season.
 
North Central starter Bryan Polowy cruised through the first four innings by allowing just two Augustana hits. In the fifth, however, the Vikings touched him for a single run. Junior Kyle Lenihan (Romeoville HS, Romeoville, Ill.) led off with a single to right and with one out sophomore Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) doubled down the left field line to push Lenihan to third. Lenihan scored on an infield out off the bat of senior Jacob Van Duyne (Wilmington HS, Wilmington, Ill.) to make it 2-1.
 
In the sixth the Vikings pushed across a pair of unearned runs to make it 3-2 and in the seventh Van Duyne's triple to center scored Gingerich, who reached on an infield single to lead things off. Van Duyne scored on an infield single by junior Brandon Jasper (DeWitt Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa.) and the margin was up to 5-2.
 
North Central closed the gap to 5-3 with an unearned run off Morgenstern in the top of the eighth but Augustana got it back when junior Nick Tenerelli (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) tripled to center and came home on a single by Lenihan.
 
Stewart, Tenerelli and Lenihan all had two hits to lead the Viking offense.
 
GAME 2 – North Central 8, Augustana 7
 
The Vikings committed three errors in the game and lost 8-7 despite outhitting the visitors 14-12. Freshman Kyle McGinley (J.K. Mullen HS, Denver, Colo.) took the loss in relief.
 
North Central jumped on starter Kevin Hodgman (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) for a pair of runs in the top of the first but Augustana answered with four in the bottom of the frame. Van Duyne, Jasper and junior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) opened with three straight singles with Van Duyne scoring the Vikings' first run on Fifer's hit. Stewart then doubled to left center to drive in Jasper and Fifer to make the score 3-2. Stewart came home on a ground out by Lenihan.
 
The Cardinals scored a single run in the second but Augustana added a run in the fifth to make it 5-3 when Stewart doubled to left center and Tenerelli singled him home. North Central picked up a single run in the sixth to make it 5-4 and Hodgeman was through after going six innings and allowing four runs, only two of them earned, on six hits with two strikeouts.
 
North Central scored two in the eighth to go ahead 7-6 but the Vikings pushed across a run in the bottom of the eight when sophomore Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) scampered home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jasper.
 
The Cardinals tallied the winning run in the top of the ninth to come away with the 8-7 victory.
Stewart was three for five with three doubles, three runs scored and two RBI. Fifer was also three for five with one run scored and an RBI and Van Duyne went three for five with a run scored. Lenihan added two hits and two RBI.