Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Sophomore Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Downers Grove, Ill.) gave Augustana a strong game-one pitching performance Saturday as the Vikings split a doubleheader at Wheaton, winning the opener 3-1 before falling 6-3 in the nightcap. Coach Greg Wallace's club is now 23-8 on the year and 9-6 in the CCIW heading into a 1:00 p.m. Sunday doubleheader versus Illinois Wesleyan at home. The Thunder are 19-14 on the season and 9-8 in the conference.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, WHEATON 1
 
Augustana scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings while Powers put up goose eggs until his final inning—the eighth.
 
Junior John Moraski (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, Ill.) touched Wheaton starter Daniel Bayer for a one-out single to center in the second. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on Cayton Wallace's (Assumption HS, Rock Island, Ill.) single to center.
 
Sophomore Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) and junior Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) had one-out singles in the third and Kairis eventually scored on a throwing error to make it 2-0 Vikings.
 
In the sixth, sophomore Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) led off with a single to left. He moved to second on a Kairis sacrifice and to third when Amundsen reached on an error. Amundsen then stole second, with Mosele coming home on the back end.
 
After seven shutout innings Powers finally surrendered a run in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Trivits, Peter Newman and Brett Albaugh strung together singles, with Trivits' run getting the Thunder on the board. However, Powers retired Johnny Peltz and Ben Brittain to escape further damage. Senior Casey Weir (Warren HS, Wadsworth, Ill.) came on to start the ninth and set Wheaton down to earn his fifth save.
 
Powers allowed seven hits and one run in eight innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. Bayer (4-3) took the loss. Kairis and Wallace each had two of Augustana's seven base hits.
 
WHEATON 6, AUGUSTANA 3
 
Michael McCraith threw seven shutout innings in game two to lead the Thunder to a 6-3 win. The Vikings' rallied for three in the ninth, but came up short.
 
Wheaton got to Augustana's Connor Berek (Riverside-Brookfield HS, Brookfield, Ill.) for two runs each in the second and third innings. Albaugh, Peltz and Brittain singled to load the bases in the second. A walk to Seth Mayer plated the first run and John McKenna was hit by a pitch to force in another. After Newman reached on an error and Albaugh singled in the third, freshman Levi Palomo (Barrington HS, South Barrington, Ill.) came on in relief of Berek. A Brittain groundout and a single by Meyer drove in runs to make it 4-0.
 
Senior Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.) led off the top of the fourth with a double to left and junior Matt Loeffl (Grayslake Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.) singled him to third one out later. However, McCraith induced a pair of popouts to second to escape unscathed. Ruh and Loeffl both singled in the sixth, but were left stranded at second and third.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Peltz and Brittain in the fifth made it 5-0 Wheaton and a Trivits sacrifice fly delivered another run in the eighth.
 
Three walks and a passed ball produced a Viking run in the top of the ninth and sophomore Mike Avella (Crystal Lake South HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) singled in two more, but reliever Nick Johnson eventually closed the door.
 
McCraith improved to 7-1 with the win. Berek took the loss, falling to 1-1. Amundsen and Loeffl had three hits each and Ruh added a pair.