Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A six-run first inning helped lift Augustana to an 11-5 win over St. Vincent Sunday in the Vikings' final game of their first Florida trip. The victory gave Coach Greg Wallace's club a 7-1 record on the 2016 season. The game was the season opener for the Bearcats.
 
After starter Brad Dubow (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) threw a scoreless top of the first, his teammates went right to work in the bottom half. Freshman Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) led off with a double down the right field line and scored a batter later on a single by senior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.). Senior Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. John Moraski's double to right center knocked in another run and junior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) delivered two more with a double down the left field line. Alex Fluehr's (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) RBI single brought in Ruh with the sixth run of the frame.
 
St. Vincent got to Dubow for two runs in the second on a Jason Vater sacrifice fly and a Brennan Hoffer RBI single. In the third, the sophomore right hander walked the bases full, bringing freshman Mitch Malone (Minooka HS, Minooka, Ill.) out of the pen. Eddie Kilkeary and Greg Martin delivered back-to-back RBI singles as the Bearacts cut the deficit to 6-4, before Malone fanned Chris Winkler and coaxed a double play grounder from Vater to avoid further damage.
 
Ruh's two-run homer in the third put Augustana up 8-5.
 
Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.) came on to start the fourth for the Vikings and St. Vincent reached him for a run. However, the freshman right-hander set down 17 of the last 18 batters he faced, finishing out the game and earning his first collegiate win.
 
Augustana gave Powers some insurance with RBI singles by Gingerich and Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) in the sixth and Gray's bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the seventh.
 
Ruh went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and four driven in. Moraski was 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI and Fluehr had two hits as well. Gray scored twice and drove in a pair and Gingerich knocked in two also. Powers (1-0) went the last six innings, allowing four hits and a run, walking none and fanning eight.
 
The Vikings are scheduled for a doubleheader versus Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, March 4.