Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. – Augustana rode seven shutout innings from starter Chris Sauer (Rock Canyon HS, Littleton, Colo.) and a six-run fourth inning to an 11-3 win at North Park Sunday, completing a sweep of the teams' three-game series. Coach Greg Wallace's Vikings improve to 21-11 on the season and 10-5 in the CCIW, while NPU dropped to 12-21 and 4-11, respectively.
 
Both teams missed an opportunity to score in the first. Augustana left runners at second and third and Sauer loaded the bases with one out, but escaped unscathed.
 
North Park starter Caleb Layden walked Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) to start the third and Gray eventually scored the game's first run on Trace Gingerich's (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) fielder's choice grounder.
 
Sophomore Jack Hallmark (Cherry Creek HS, Evergreen, Colo.) started the  big Viking fourth by reaching on an error. He scored on Cayton Wallace's (Assumption HS, Rock Island, Ill.) RBI double and one out later, Gray's two-run homer to right put the visitors up 4-0. Augustana added runs on John Swiderski's (Genevea HS, Geneva, Ill.) RBI double, a Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) RBI fielder's choice and a North Park error.
 
Hallmark had a leadoff double in the seventh and scored on an Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) single to make it 8-0.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Sauer gave up singles to Cam Adams and Cullen Gilbertson to start the inning, but got David Scholz to fly to left and Layden to hit into an inning-ending double play. Junior first baseman Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) came through with a slick tag to complete the twin killing, Augustana's third of the afternoon.
 
Fluehr drove in another run with a fielder's choice grounder in the top of the eighth and after North Park reached reliever Brad Dubow (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) for its first run in the bottom of the frame, Hallmark singled in a pair in the top of the ninth. The hosts added two runs off Nick Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) in the ninth.
 
Sauer gave up seven singles and issued three walks in seven shutout innings. The senior lefty improved to 4-2 on the year. Layden went 3 1/3 innings and lost his first decision. The Augustana offense banged out 16 hits. Hallmark was 4-for-6 with two runs scored and two driven in and Swiderski was 3-for-5 with two scored and one knocked in. Wallace and Fluehr had two hits each.
 
Sunday's win pulled Wallace's club to within one game of the CCIW lead. North Central leads the conference at 11-4. Augustana and Illinois Wesleyan are tied for second at 10-5. The Vikings are back in action on Wednesday, April 27, hosting Cornell in a non-conference game at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.