Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MOLINE, Ill. – After going 14 consecutive scoreless innings to start the day, Carroll exploded for nine runs in its last three at-bats Saturday at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field to win the second game of its doubleheader with Augustana 9-7. The Vikings took the opener 3-0 behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.). Coach Greg Wallace's 15th-ranked club is now 16-3 on the season and 2-1 in CCIW play. The Pioneers are 5-12 overall and 1-2 in the league.
 
The teams wrap up their three-game series—originally scheduled for Waukesha, Wisconsin—on Sunday, April 2 at 9:00 a.m. Carroll is the designated home team for all three games.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, CARROLL 0
 
Powers was the story in game one, going 7 1/3 strong innings. He faced just one batter over the minimum through six frames.
 
Senior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) singled in junior Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) with an unearned run in the top of the first, giving Augustana a 1-0 lead.
 
The Vikings added a run each in the fourth and fifth. Singles by junior John Moraski (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, Ill.) and senior Cayton Wallace (Assumption HS, Rock Island, Ill.), a walk to freshman Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Lockport, Ill.) and Nick Mosele's (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) sacrifice fly plated the fourth-inning run. Sophomore Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and scored on a Moraski sacrifice fly.
 
Powers retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before giving up consecutive singles to Frey and Emmer. However, he fanned Etherington looking to end the inning. He left with one out in the eighth after issuing his first walk. Seniors Nick Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) and Casey Weir (Warren HS, Wadsworth, Ill.) each went 2/3 of an inning to close things out.
 
Powers allowed just four hits—including two that didn't leave the infield—and walked one while fanning five. He earned his third win in four decisions this year. Weir recorded his third save. Pioneer starter Carter Howard (1-3) suffered the loss. Ruh and Moraski had two hits each for Augustana.
 
CARROLL 9, AUGUSTANA 7
 
The Vikings looked to be in control with a 6-0 lead after 5½ innings in the nightcap. Sophomore lefty Connor Berek (Riverside-Brookfield HS, Brookfield., Ill.) had limited Carroll to just two hits going to the bottom of the sixth.
 
Augustana went up 1-0 in the top of the first. Junior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk, Kairis had a rare bunt single to right field and Amundsen singled to left to score Nunez.
 
The Vikings added two in the fourth on an RBI single by Mosele and Nunez's run-scoring double. Wallace and Huber started the sixth with singles and Augustana took advantage of two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch to plate three runs in the frame and go up 6-0.
 
Berek got the first out in the sixth, but Hunter Frey beat out a bunt single and Nolan Heck and Zach Meyers had back-to-back hits to plate Frey with the Pioneers' first run of the day. Junior Vinny Rotunno (Lakes HS, Lindenhurst, Ill.) came on in relief and Carroll scored another run on Dylan Callahan's infield hit.
 
The Pioneers cut the deficit to 6-5 with three in the seventh. Refka relieved Rotunno after a one-out walk and a Frey double, but Carroll greeted him with three straight singles. He started a 1-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
 
Moraski singled in Kairis in the top of the eight to make it 7-5, but the Pioneers kept coming, taking the lead with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Heck singled in Frey with the go-ahead run.
 
Cam Godinsky set the Vikings down in order in the top of the ninth to earn his first save. Jake Sweet (3-1), who threw the eighth inning, picked up the win. Refka absorbed his first loss in three decisions this year. Ruh, Wallace and Mosele had two hits apiece. Nunez scored twice and Amundsen knocked in a pair.