Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. – Senior Carter Amundsen (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) beat out a potential double play grounder in the 11th inning Friday, allowing classmate John Moraski (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, Ill.) to score the eventual winning run, as Augustana defeated Elmhurst 5-4 at Butterfield Park. The second game of a scheduled doubleheader was suspended by rain with the Vikings leading 1-0 in the seventh and will be completed on Monday, April 16 prior to the teams' scheduled contest at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field in Moline, Illinois. Coach Greg Wallace's club improved to 17-7 on the season and 5-4 in the CCIW, while the Bluejays dropped to 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the league.
 
With the score tied 4-4, Moraski led off the top of the 11th with a single through the middle. Senior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) laid down a sacrifice to move him to second and sophomore Sam Beyer (Legend HS, Parker, Colo.) followed with an infield hit that put runners on first and third with one out. Kevin Johlie came out of the Elmhurst pen to face Amundsen and the senior right fielder grounded to Trevor Horwath at short. Horvath's throw got Beyer at second, but Amundsen beat Trey Crompton's relay and Moraski scored to make it 5-4 Augustana.
 
Senior right-hander Mitch Malone (Minooka HS, Minooka, Ill.) pitched around a two-out single in the bottom of the 11th to close things out and earn the win in his first decision of the year.
 
Amundsen led off the game by drawing a walk from Bluejay starter Nick Drago. He moved to second on a Jack Hallmark (Cherry Creek HS, Evergreen, Colo.) sacrifice and scored on Gunnar Haskins' (Alleman HS, Moline, Ill.) single to right, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
 
The hosts did all of their damage off Augustana ace Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Downers Grove, Ill.) in the second. Powers hit Jacob McMillan leading off and Jordan Scrimpsher and Matt Wilson followed with an infield hit and bunt single, respectively, to load the bases. Austin MacMillan's single to left tied it at 1-1. Powers fanned James Wick, but the next two batters reached on errors as the Bluejays went up 3-1. Compton knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly and Elmhurst led 4-1 after two.
 
Drago walked three Vikings with two out in the third, but coaxed a Nick Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) foul out to end the threat.
 
Augustana broke through in the sixth, scoring three to tie it. Senior Matt Loeffl (Grayslake Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.) and junior Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) had consecutive one-out singles and Moraski reached on an error to load the bases. Nunez's two-run single to left pulled the Vikings to within a run and knocked Drago out in favor of Alex Kielion. Beyer then squeezed in Moraski with the tying run.
 
Powers left Bluejays stranded at first and third in the seventh before exiting in favor of Malone to start the eighth. Elmhurst threatened in the 10th, but Malone fanned Karson Thomas to end the inning, again leaving runners at first and third.
 
Malone allowed four singles, no walks and fanned four in four scoreless innings. Powers scattered eight hits, gave up three earned runs and also struck out four in his seven innings. Neither walked a batter. Kielion (0-3), who allowed just one run in five innings of relief, was the tough-luck loser.
 
Loeffl and Beyer each had two of Augustana's nine hits. Moraski scored twice and Nunez knocked in a pair.