Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Senior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) had three hits and three RBI Friday and classmate Brandon Jasper (Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) scored three times to lead Augustana to a 9-8 win over Mitchell at the Player Development Complex. Coach Greg Wallace's club won its sixth consecutive game to improve to 9-3 on the year, while the Mariners dropped their second in a row after eight straight wins to start the season.
 
The Vikings jumped on top with five runs in the first two innings. Junior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) got things started with a one-out double in the bottom of the first. Junior John Swiderski (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) doubled him in and scored himself on Trace Gingerich's (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) RBI double to left center.
 
In the third, freshman Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) led off with a single and junior Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) and Jasper followed with walks to load the bases. Kiriakopoulos scored and the others moved up on a Clayton Shaw wild pitch. Fifer then came through with a two-run single down the left field line to give Augustana a 5-0 lead.
 
Jasper's leadoff double and RBI singles by Fifer and Gingerich in the fourth extended the lead to 7-0. The Vikings went up 8-1 with a run in the seventh on a double by senior Jacques Camalick (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) and an RBI single by Kiriakopoulos.
 
Augustana starter Kyle McGinley (Mullen HS, Denver, Colo.) cruised through the first seven frames, allowing just a single run in the sixth on a Kenneth Olszewski double and an Evan Peck sacrifice fly. He ran into trouble in the eighth, however, surrendering three runs before being relieved by senior Kevin Hodgman (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.). Mitchell got two more off Hodgman and an unearned run off sophomore Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.), the third Viking pitcher of the inning. Junior Darwin Townsend (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) came on and fanned Kyle Hartenstein to end the inning and preserve an 8-7 lead.
 
Swiderski's sacrifice fly in the eighth scored Jasper to make it 9-7 Augustana. The Mariners answered with a run in the top of the ninth, but Townsend got Tyler Pina to ground out to end the game, leaving the tying run stranded on second.
 
McGinley picked up his third win in four decisions. He allowed four hits and four runs in 7 1/3 innings, walking five and fanning five. Townsend recorded his first save of the season. In addition to Fifer's three knocks, Jasper, Gray, Gingerich and Kiriakopoulos had two each. Gray scored twice and Swiderski and Gingerich knocked in two apiece.
 
The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, March 14, facing Hiram at Terry Park in Fort Meyers.