Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. – Augustana got seven-plus great innings out of freshman southpaw Gerrit Elzinga (Monarch HS, Louisville, Colo.) Wednesday and then hung for a win 5-4 over Cornell at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Vikings improve to 24-13 on the year and close out the regular season this weekend with a three-game set at Millikin. The Rams fall to 14-18.
 
After Elzinga set Cornell down in order in the top of the first, the hosts plated a run in the bottom half. Senior Brandon Jasper (Central HS, DeWitt, Iowa) and junior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock island, Ill.) drew back-to-back walks and senior Danny Fifer (Lincoln-Way West HS, New Lenox, Ill.) beat out a bunt to load the bases. Sophomore Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but Jasper came across with the game's first run.
 
The Vikings added three in the third. Junior Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) led off with a single to center and moved to third when Jasper doubled down the right field line. Gray knocked him in with a ground out and Fifer singled in Jasper. Ruh and junior Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) each had singles, with Gingerich's scoring Fifer for a 4-0 Augustana lead.
 
Meanwhile, Elzinga was cruising. Through seven innings he allowed just two base runners—a two-out single in the second and another in the fifth.
 
The Vikings made it 5-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Gingerich led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single to right by junior Brett Bialek (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.).
 
The Rams finally got to Elzinga in the eighth. Two singles, a walk, a wild pitch and an error pushed across Cornell's first run. Sophomore Cooper SantAmour (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) came out of the pen with the bases loaded and the first batter he faced, Nate Streb, reached on another error, scoring the second run of the inning. Beriah Quick followed with a two-run single and the Rams were within 5-4. SantAmour got the final two outs of the inning, leaving two runners stranded, to maintain the lead.
 
In the ninth, SantAmour pitched around a walk and a passed ball that put the tying run in scoring position. He fanned two batters and got the final out of the game on a fly to Gray in center.
 
Elzinga went 7 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and four runs (one earned), walking one and fanning four. He picked up his second win in as any decisions this year. SantAmour earned his third save. Gingerich had three hits to pace the Viking offense. Jasper , Fifer, Ruh and Bialek had two hits each and Jasper scored twice.