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NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Coach Greg Wallace's Augustana baseball team scored seven runs in the ninth inning to win the opener of Saturday's twin bill 13-10 over North Central and extend its winning streak to 11 games. The Cardinals came back to win the nightcap 6-3. The Vikings are now 14-4 on the year and 1-1 in the CCIW. North Central is 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the league. The teams play a single game at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field on Sunday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m.
 
AUGUSTANA 13, NORTH CENTRAL 10
 
A seven-run ninth gave Augustana its 11th straight win in the opener.
 
With the Vikings trailing 10-6, junior John Swiderski (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) led off the ninth with is third hit of the game. Classmate Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) followed with a walk. One out later, senior Jacques Camalick (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) reached on a Cardinal error, driving in Swiderski in the process. Jeff Priors' (Rock Canyon HS, Lone Tree, Colo.) pinch-hit single loaded the bases, but after an Alex Fluehr popup, Augustana was down to its last out.
 
Senior Brandon Jasper (Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) came through with a two-run double down the left field line and Prior scored the tying run when the next batter, junior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.), reached on an error. Freshman Matt Loeffl (Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.) followed with a pinch single that plated Jasper with the go-ahead run. Swiderski drove in another with his second hit of the inning and fourth of the game and Gingerich knocked in Loeffl with the final run of the frame and a 13-10 Viking lead.
 
Junior Darwin Townsend (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) worked around a pair of walks in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second save. Sophomore Nick Refka went an inning and a third to earn his first career win.
 
The Cardinals got to Augustana ace Seth Davis (Mullen HS, Aurora, Colo.) for six runs in 5 2/3 innings. The senior southpaw, who leads the nation in strikeouts, did fan six before leaving on the short end of a 4-2 score.
 
Each team scored three in the seventh and the Vikings plated one in the eighth on Gray's RBI double to right center.
 
Swiderski went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two knocked in. Jasper was 2-for-3 to lift his season average to .500. He also scored three and drove in a pair. Senior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS New Lenox, Ill.) and Gingerich each had three hits.
 
NORTH CENTRAL 6, AUGUSTANA 3
 
A five-run third inning gave Cardinal starter Bryan Polowy all the runs he would need in the nightcap.
 
After setting the hosts down in order in the first and leaving the bags full of Cardinals in the second, Viking starter Kyle McGinley (Mullen HS, Denver, Colo.) couldn't dodge a bullet again in the third. Sam Carius led off with a walk. Nick Brandt followed with a single and a wild pitch moved both runners up. McGinley got Sam Klein looking, but Joe Paparone delivered a two-run single to right to give North Central the lead. A walk to Jake Rone ended McGinley's day and the Cardinals added three more in the frame to lead 5-0 after three.
 
Augustana got to Polowy for three in the sixth. The junior right-hander came into the game having allowed just four hits and one run in 21 innings this season. Gray opened the frame with a single to right and Fifer followed with a single through the left side. Gingerich drew a one-out walk to load the bases and with two outs, Loeffl singled to left, scoring Gray and Fifer. Sophomore Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) delivered an RBI single to right and the Vikings trailed 5-3 after five and a half.
 
Klein's two-out RBI single to center in the bottom of the sixth provided Polowy with some insurance. The Cardinal starter lasted into the eighth inning before exiting in favor of Jake Staab. Staab gave up just a walk over the final inning and two-thirds to earn his first save.
 
Gray led the offense with three hits. McGinley absorbed his second loss against four wins. Sophomore Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) threw 5 2/3 innings of relief.