LAKE MYRTLE, Fla. – Senior Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.) put together seven strong innings as the starter and the Augustana offense pounded out 12 hits as the Vikings defeated Cabrini 8-4 on Monday, February 25 in Lake Myrtle, Florida. With the win head coach Greg Wallace's club moved to 6-0 on the season while Cabrini dropped to 3-2.
 
For Powers it was his second consecutive strong outing as a starter and this time he was able to record the victory for his trouble. He survived one rough inning and that was the fourth when the Cavaliers put up four runs, helped out by two Augustana errors.
 
The Vikings got on the board first with a single run in the top of the third inning. Freshman Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) led off the third with a double and he scored when junior Will Troia (Boylan Catholic HS, Rockford, Ill.) laid down a sacrifice bunt and it was misplayed.
 
In the top of the fourth inning Augustana exploded for five runs. Senior Gunnar Haskins (Alleman Catholic HS, Moline, Ill.) led off with a walk and moved to third on double by junior Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.). With runners on second and third Cabrini got the first out of the inning when senior Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) grounded into a fielder's choice and Haskins was cut down at the plate. A wild pitch moved Huber and Grannemann each up one base and sophomore Mitch Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) drove them both home to make the score 3-0. A double by Helms scored Owens to bump the advantage to 4-0. A walk to Troia and a single by freshman Drew Davis (Illini Bluffs HS, Mapleton, Ill.) plated Helms for the fourth run of the inning and fifth of the game. The final run of the inning came when Troia scored on a ground out off the bat of senior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.).
 
Cabrini closed the gap with its four run fourth to make it 6-4 but Powers mowed the Cavaliers down over the next three innings, facing only nine batters before turning things over to the Augustana bullpen. Sophomores Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) and John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) combined for two innings of scoreless baseball.
 
For good measure Augustana put up two runs in the top of the ninth as Huber and Grannemann each drove in runs.
 
Five Vikings had two hits each as Nunez, Grannemann, Owens, Helms and Davis led the offense. Owens drove in a pair and scored one while Helms had one RBI and two runs scored.
 
Augustana and Cabrini will tangle again on Tuesday, February 26 in Winter Haven.