Box Score MOLINE, Ill. – Junior Jacques Camalick (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning as Augustana defeated Millikin 5-4 on Friday, May 2 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The decision was key for the Vikings as they continue to control their own destiny in their attempt to win Augustana's first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin baseball title in 40 years.
 
Trailing 4-3 heading into the eighth inning, senior Grant Stewart (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) battled with an 0-2 count, following off several pitches before being hit by a pitch from Millikin reliever Sean Beal to lead off the inning. Stewart went to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of junior Nick Tenerelli (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.). With two outs, Camalick ripped a booming double off the left field fence to score Stewart with the tying run. Two wild pitches and a cloud of dust at home plate and Camalick had given the Vikings a 5-4 lead.
 
Sophomore Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) came on in relief of starter Seth Davis (J.K. Mullen HS, Aurora, Colo.) in the ninth and after walking the first batter, retired the next three to record his fourth save of the year. He caught the final two Millikin batters looking.
 
Augustana put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Senior Jacob Van Duyne (Wilmington HS, Wilmington, Ill.) walked and went to second on a wild pitch. At this point in the game Millikin starter Philip Ganley suffered an injury and was removed for Zak Owens. Junior Brandon Jasper (Central DeWitt HS, DeWitt, Iowa) beat out a bunt single and Van Duyne moved to third. Junior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) lofted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Van Duyne with the game's first run. Jasper went to second on a wild pitch and Stewart walked. Jasper and Stewart then executed a double steal to put Jasper on third and Stewart on second. Tenerelli beat out an infield single to score Jasper.
 
The Vikings made it 3-0 in the second when Camalick led off with a double to left center and came home on a single by sophomore Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.).
 
Davis cruised into the fourth, retiring the first 14 batters in the game before running into trouble. Two singles and two doubles allowed Millikin to tie the game in the fourth at 3-3. The Big Blue took the lead in the top of the sixth with an unearned run helped by a pair of Augustana errors.
 
That set up the eighth as the Vikings pulled out the much-needed win to move to 25-10 overall and 13-6 in conference play. They are currently tied with North Park at 13-6 while North Central and Illinois Wesleyan are each a game back at 12-7. Augustana has the tie-breaker advantage with both North Park and North Central. A double header sweep on Saturday of Millikin will give the Vikings their first CCIW title since 1974. Head coach Greg Wallace's team does have a pair of CCIW tournament championships (1999 and 2013) but Augustana has not won the league title in 40 years.
 
Davis picked up the win to move to 4-2 on the season. He worked eight innings and gave up four runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts.
 
Camalick had two hits, scored two runs and had an RBI to lead an offense that could generate just six hits off four Millikin pitchers. The Big Blue is now 8-28 overall and 1-18 in the CCIW.