Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Augustana wrapped up its second trip to Florida Sunday, dropping a 4-0 decision to Amherst at Terry Park. The Vikings return to the Midwest with a 9-5 record, while Amherst improved to 8-1 on the year. Coach Greg Wallace's club is scheduled to play a doubleheader at Rockford on Saturday, March 26.
 
The Lord Jeffs' Riley Streit limited Augustana to four hits in a complete game effort.
 
The Vikings' best threat came in the top of the ninth. With Augustana trailing 4-0, senior Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) drew a two-out walk and junior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) was hit by a Streit offering. A balk moved pinch runners Jeff Prior (Rock Canyon HS, Lone Tree, Ill.) and Justin Joy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) to second and third, but Streit got Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) to pop to first to end the game.
 
Viking starter Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.) held Amherst scoreless on just two singles through four innings, but Anthony Spina touched the freshman right-hander for a leadoff homer in the fifth. Harry Roberson added a two-run triple in the frame and scored the Lord Jeffs' fourth run on an Augustana error.
 
Sophomore Brad Dubow (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) came out of the Viking pen to start the sixth and threw two shutout innings. Senior Darwin Townsend (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) pitched a scoreless eighth.
 
Freshman Ryan Kairis had Augustana's only extra-base hit, a leadoff double in the sixth. The Vikings' other hits came of the bats of sophomores Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and Jack Hallmark (Cherry Creek HS, Englewood, Colo.) and senior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.).
 
Powers suffered the loss to even his record at 1-1 on the year.