Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. – Senior Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) lofted a double down the left field line Tuesday that brought classmate Jeff Prior (Rock Canyon HS, Lone Tree, Colo.) home with the winning run in a 6-5 win over Cornell at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Vikings improved to 22-11 on the year, while the Rams dropped to 17-10.
 
After Cornell scored three in the top of the ninth to tie the contest at 5-5, Prior led off the bottom half. Ram reliever Zach Greenwald hit him in the leg with his very first pitch and senior Alex Fluehr (Harlem HS, Loves Park, Ill.) laid down a perfect sacrifice to get him into scoring position. That brought up Gray,  who lifted a shot down the left field line that Cornell's Brandon Davis couldn't reach. Prior scored from second with the game-winner.
 
Both coaches went deep into their respective staffs. Starters Caleb Wichman of Rams and Augustana's Kyle McGinley (Mullen HS, Denver, Colo.) went just four and three innings, respectively. Cornell's Seth Wing ended up using six hurlers, while Greg Wallace used five arms.
 
Cornell went up 1-0 in the top of the third. David doubled to left and scored on T.J. Rausch's single to center. The Vikings took the lead in the bottom half on John Swiderski's (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) two run single up the middle.
 
In the fourth, the Rams loaded the bases against freshman Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.), but sophomore third baseman Jack Hallmark (Cherry Creek HS, Evergreen, Colo.) made a spectacular backhanded stop of a Josh Dimmitt grounder and turned it into an inning-ending 5-3 double play. Powers pitched out of another bases-loaded jam in the fifth, fanning John Tesensky to end the inning.
 
The Rams tied it a 2-2 on Davis' RBI fielder's choice off Casey Weir (Warren HS, Wadsworth, Ill.) in the sixth.
 
In the Augustana seventh, the Vikings went back on top 5-2 when freshman Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) came through with a three-run double to left.
 
Cornell tied it with three runs off relievers Brad Dubow (Naperville Central HS) and Nick Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) in the top of the ninth. The tying run scored whenTesensky's one-out grounder was too slow for the Vikings to turn a double play.
 
Gray was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI from the leadoff spot and Kairis went 3-for-3 with a run and three RBI out of the number two slot. Refka picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the year.
 
Augustana plays a crucial three-game series with Illinois Wesleyan this weekend. The Vikings and Titans are tied for second in the CCIW, a game back of North Central at 10-5. The first game of the series is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 29 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field.