Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Augustana bounced back from a tough 5-4, 10-inning setback in Saturday's doubleheader opener to win 4-3 in the nightcap and finish off their weekend series with Wheaton by taking two of three games. Both teams now sport overall records of 16-9 and CCIW marks of 5-3 this year.
 
WHEATON 5, AUGUSTANA 4 (10)
 
The Thunder rallied from deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 to pull out game one in 10 innings.
 
Trailing 3-2 going to the bottom of the ninth, Wheaton tied it when J.D. Carpenter doubled in pinch runner Brett Albaugh.
 
In the top of the tenth, Nathan Gray (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) tripled to right center and scored on a wild pitch to put the Vikings on top 4-3. However in the bottom half, an error, a single and an intentional walk loaded the bases for the Thunder and another walk forced in the tying run. Josh Kimmel then dropped down a bunt single that plated Ben Brittain with the game winner.
 
The hosts took the lead with an unearned run off Viking starter Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) in the bottom of the first.
 
Augustana took advantage of two walks, two hit batsmen and five wild pitches to plate three in the top of the second. The Vikings scored their third run on a double steal with freshman Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) taking second and classmate Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) coming home. John Schmitz came on in relief of Thunder starter Daniel Bayer to get the final out.
 
Schmitz handcuffed Augustana for the next seven innings to keep his team in the game. It wasn't until Gray's run in the 10th that the Vikings finally got to him. Nick Johnson came on to record the final out and was the beneficiary of Wheaton's rally in the bottom half, getting his fourth win in five decisions.
 
Junior Nick Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) took the loss, dropping to 1-1 o the year. Morgenstern gave up five hits and two runs with 11 strikeouts in six innings. Gray and junior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) had two hits each.
 
AUGUSTANA 4, WHEATON 3
 
The Vikings rode a fine performance by senior left-hander Chris Sauer (Rock Canyon HS, Littleton, Colo.) and home runs by Ruh and sophomore Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) to win the nightcap 4-3.
 
Ruh's solo blast to right with one out in the top of the second put Augustana on top 1-0, but the Thunder tied it on Jon Metz's fielder's choice grounder in the bottom half.
 
In the top of the third, junior Cayton Wallace (Assumption HS, Rock Island., Ill.) led off with a single to right and eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Kairis.
 
The Vikings added a run in the fifth to go up 3-1. Seniors Gray, John Swiderski (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) and Trace Gingerich (Sherrard HS, Sherrard, Ill.) had consecutive singles, with Gingerich's driving in Gray.
 
Amundsen's leadoff homer to left in the sixth made it 4-1 Augustana.
 
Wheaton scratched across an unearned run against Sauer in the seventh, but he left a runner stranded in scoring position to leave with a 4-2 lead. Brad Dubow (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) relieved him to start the eighth and the Thunder drew within 4-3 on an RBI double by Metz. However, the sophomore right-hander set Wheaton down in order in the ninth, fanning the final two batters to earn his first save.
 
Sauer (3-1) gave up five hits and two runs (one earned) in seven innings, walking three and fanning five. Amundsen went 2-for-3 to pace a nine-hit Viking attack.