Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Senior Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) returned to the mound for the first time in nearly 22 months Sunday and fanned 12 batters in six innings as Augustana improved to 2-0 on the season with a 10-4 win over Concordia-Moorhead. The game was the season opener for the Cobbers. Freshman leadoff man Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) paced the Viking offense, with five of the team's 15 hits.
 
Morgenstern, an All-CCIW and all-region performer in 2014 who missed all of last season with an injury, shut out Concordia through five innings. He allowed just three singles and no walks, while fanning 10 before the Cobbers touched him for two runs, one of which was unearned, in the sixth. Fittingly, he struck out the last two batters he faced to leave two runners stranded and hang on to a 7-2 lead. Sophomore Mitch Malone (Minooka HS, Minooka, Ill.) went the last three innings, allowing just two hits and two unearned runs, to earn his first save.
 
Kairis' single to left in the bottom of the first got the Augustana offense rolling. He eventually scored the game's first run on an infield single by senior John Swiderski (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill). The freshman added a leadoff double in a two-run third, scoring the first run of the inning. Senior Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) tripled in classmate Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) later in the frame and the Vikings led 3-0.
 
Augustana added two runs each in the fourth and fifth to go ahead 7-0, but left the bases loaded in both innings. Gray had an RBI single in the fourth and Kairis a two-run double in the fifth.
 
After plating an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, the Vikings added their final two in the seventh. Gingerich and sophomore Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) each delivered an RBI single.
 
Kairis went 5-for-6 with two doubles, a stolen base, three runs scored and two RBI in his second collegiate game. Gingerich, Swiderski and senior Alex Fleuhr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) each added a pair of hits. Gray scored twice and Gingerich drove in two.
 
Morgenstern's (1-0) final line included five hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings. His dozen strikeouts were a career high and he issued just one walk, which forced in the only earned run that Concordia scored.
 
Coach Greg Wallace's club continues play in Florida on Monday, February 22. The Vikings will take on St. Mary's (Minn.). Augustana won its season opener over the Cardinals 7-1 on Sunday.