Box Score

CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Wheaton's Tyler Sigler drew a leadoff walk in the ninth and eventually scored the winning run on a throwing error Friday, as Augustana fell 3-2 to the Thunder at Lee Pfund Stadium. The Vikings drop to 23-11 on the year and 8-8 in the CCIW, while Wheaton improves to 15-18 overall and 9-7 in the league.
 
Augustana had tied the game with a run in the eighth. Senior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on John Swiderski's (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a single to center by junior Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.).
 
The Vikings had an opportunity to take the lead in the in the top of the ninth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but couldn't push across a run.
 
In the bottom half, Sigler led off with a walk and John McKenna also coaxed a base-on-balls from sophomore reliever Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.). The pair executed a double steal and Sigler came home with the game-winner when Swiderski's throw got away.
 
Both Augustana starter Kyle McGinley (Mullen HS, Denver, Colo.) and his Wheaton counterpart, Peter Moran, were effective. The Vikings got to Moran for an unearned run in the third. Senior Grant Jasper (Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) reached on an error to lead off the inning, stole second and advanced to third on Nathan Gray's (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) sacrifice bunt. Fifer followed with a sacrifice fly to left for a 1-0 Augustana lead. McGinley shut out the Thunder through five, pitching out of jams in the first and fourth innings.
 
Wheaton took the lead with two runs off McGinley in the sixth. Kyle Mellinger drew a one-out walk. Johnny Peltz followed with a single to center and both moved up on a double steal. Matt Krause's RBI grounder to short tied it and Andrew Laucella's single to left plated Peltz with the go-ahead run. SantAmour came out of the pen and fanned Sigler to end the inning.
 
McGinley allowed two runs on three singles in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and fanned six. SantAmour (0-2) suffered the loss despite giving up just one hit and an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Moran gave up seven hits and two runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings. Reliever John Schmitz threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames to earn the win.
 
Jasper was 2-for-5 with a run scored and three stolen bases to lead the offense. Gingerich was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman first baseman Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) went 2-for-3 and Fifer was 1-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in.
 
The teams are scheduled to complete their three-game series with a doubleheader at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field in Moline, Illinois on Saturday, April 25. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.