Box Score CHICAGO, Ill. – Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) quieted North Park's heavy lumber Saturday afternoon, throwing his second complete game in three starts this year and defeating the hosts 11-1 at Holmgren Sports Complex. With the win, Coach Greg Wallace's Vikings improve to 20-9 this season, while North Park drops to 20-11. The teams are now tied for first place in the CCIW with Illinois Wesleyan at 10-5.
 
Augustana gave Morgenstern all the runs he would need in the third inning. Sophomore Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) started things with a double down the left field line. Sophomore Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) reached on a bunt single and senior Jacob Van Duyne (Wilmington HS, Wilmington, Ill.) was hit by an Alex Vannucci pitch to load the bases. Vannucci walked junior Brandon Jasper (Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) to force in the first run and junior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) made it 2-0 with an RBI single to center. Vannucci rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts, but Van Duyne stole home and junior Kyle Lenihan (Romeoville HS, Romeoville, Ill.) plated two runs with an infield hit to give Augustana a 5-0 lead after two and a half innings.
 
Wallace's bunch added three more in the fourth. Consecutive singles to start the inning by Fluehr, Van Duyne and Jasper loaded the bases and knocked Vannucci out. Fifer followed with a two-run single off reliever John Nemcek and senior Grant Stewart (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) scored Jasper with a double to center.
 
North Park scored its only run, an unearned tally, in the fifth, but Morgenstern left the bases full to maintain Augustana's 8-1 advantage.
 
The visitors added a pair of runs in the sixth on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk. Another RBI double to center by Stewart in the eighth plated Jasper, as the Viking right fielder scored his fourth run of the day. That made the score 11-1 and allowed Morgenstern to end the contest an inning early with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.
 
Morgenstern improved to 4-1 on the year. The sophomore right-hander scattered seven hits and walked just one while fanning five against a team that came in hitting .331 and averaging 8.5 runs per game.
 
Fifer finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three driven in. Stewart was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Jasper was 2-for-4 and drove in a run in addition to the four he scored himself. Van Duyne and Fluehr each finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Next up for the Vikings is a single game against Knox in Galesburg, Illinois on Wednesday, April 23. That contest is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.