Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Augustana scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth Thursday to pull out a 3-1 victory over Bethel at Terry Park. The 20th-ranked Vikings improved to 9-1 on the season, while the Royals dropped to 8-3 this year.
 
Senior Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) and Bethel starter Michael Willman matched goose eggs through six innings before Michael Wesner led off the top of the seventh with a single to center for the Royals. Brandon Meyer sacrificed Wesner to second and he stole third. Sam Horner followed with a sacrifice fly to Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) in right that plated Wesner with the go-ahead run.
 
Willman set Augustana down in order in the bottom of the seventh and Morgenstern pitched around a leadoff single to escape the eighth unscathed.
 
Sophomore Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) reached on a one-out infield hit in the bottom of the eighth and when classmate Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) followed with a walk, it spelled the end of Willman's day. Carson Selin came out of the Bethel pen and hit junior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) to load  the bases and Amundsen to force in Mosele with the tying run. Senior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) grounded into a 6-2 fielder's choice, with Kairis cut down at the plate. However, John Moraski's (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, Ill.) two-out single to left put the Vikings on top and a bases-loaded walk to senior Cayton Wallace (Assumption HS, Rock Island, Ill.) provided an insurance run. Jake Marsh relieved Selin and finally got the Royals out of the inning.
 
Morgenstern exited in favor of Casey Weir (Warren HS, Wadsworth, Ill.) to start the ninth and the senior right-hander pitched around a one-out walk, fanning two, to lock up the win and earn his first save.
 
Morgenstern scattered six hits, walked two and struck out six in eight strong innings. He improved to 3-0 on the season. Willman (2-1) was the tough-luck loser. He allowed just three singles and a double in 7 1/3 innings, walking one and fanning five.
 
On St. Patrick's Day, Augustana will tangle with Edgewood at Player Development Complex beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT.