Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

KENOSHA, Wis. – Augustana got solid starts from its top two pitchers Saturday, but could manage just a doubleheader split at Carthage. The Vikings rode senior Walter White's (East Peoria HS, East Peoria, Ill.) effort to a 6-3 win in the opener, but couldn't produce enough offense in the nightcap, falling 3-2 despite a complete game performance by senior Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.). Coach Greg Wallace's team is now 18-10 on the year and 7-4 in the CCIW. The Red Men are 12-13 overall and 5-6 in the league. The teams complete their three-game set with a single contest at Augie Schmidt Field on Sunday, April 17 at noon.
 
AUGUSTANA 6, CARTHAGE 3
 
White went eight strong innings in Saturday's opener to earn the win and improve to 5-1 on the year. He surrendered his only run on a solo homer by Zach Wade in the seventh, but retired the last six batters he faced before exiting.
 
Augustana scored after two were out in the top of the first to take the lead. Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) singled in John Swiderski (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) with the game's first run, but the senior second baseman was later thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
 
The Vikings added a run in the second on an Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) sacrifice fly.
 
Senior Cayton Wallace (Assumption HS, Rock Island, Ill.) doubled in two runs in the fourth and sophomore Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) singled in a pair in the fifth to put the visitors on top 6-0.
 
Junior Casey Weir (Warren HS, Wadsworth, Ill.) finished up on the mound for the Vikings in the ninth. White scattered seven hits, issued three walks and fanned five. Carthage starter Tim Sulik took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year.
 
Wallace paced a 12-hit Augustana attack, going 3-for-4 with two runs knocked in. Amundsen was 2-for-2 with a run scored and a pair of RBI. Swiderski went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and junior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) had two hits in four at-bats as well.
 
CARTHAGE 3, AUGUSTANA 2
 
Three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth spelled the difference in the nightcap. Jordan Wiegold led off by reaching on an error. Wade followed with an infield hit, the Red Men's first of the game. After Jared Helmich doubled in Wiegold with the game's first run, it looked like Morgenstern might escape further damage when he retired the next two batters. However, Jared Knoespel came through with a two-out, two-run single to put Carthage on top 3-0.
 
The Vikings plated a run in the top of the sixth on consecutive one-out singles by Fluehr, senior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and sophomore Jack Hallmark (Cherry Creek HS, Englewood, Colo.).
 
Augustana threatened in the seventh, getting a leadoff walk by Ruh and a double by sophomore Peter Doughty (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.), but reliever Kyle Cibrario induced a double play ball in between to keep the Vikings from cutting the deficit.
 
Wallace's club mounted one final challenge in the ninth. Gingerich reached on a one-out infield hit and sophomore Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake in the Hills, Ill.) moved him to second with a single to left. Amundsen's fielder's choice put runners on first and third with two out. Doughty followed with a liner to center that fell just in front of a diving Anthony Fortunato as Gingerich scored to make it 3-2. Pinch runner Matt Loeffl (Grayslake Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.) stole second to put potential go-ahead run in scoring position, but pinch hitter Jeff Prior (Rock Canyon HS, Lone Tree, Colo.) lined out to left to end the game.
 
Morgenstern allowed just five hits and three unearned runs in his—and the team's—second complete game of the season. He walked three and fanned nine, but took the tough-luck loss, falling to 4-3 on the year. Carthage starter Chris DeRue went six innings to earn his first win. Cibrario went the final three to pick up his first save. Hallmark and Doughty each had a pair of hits and an RBI.