MOLINE, Ill. – After falling in an 11-0 hole against Cornell Thursday, Augustana rallied with 10 unanswered runs, but the comeback ultimately fell short as the Vikings dropped an 11-10 decision in their 2019 home opener at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. Coach Greg Wallace's club is now 9-3-1 on the season, while the Rams improved to 4-3.

 

Trailing 11-0 after 4½ innings, Augustana's rally started with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) led off with a triple and scored on a Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) sacrifice fly. Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) reached on an error and eventually came around to score on Mitchell Owens' (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) two-out RBI single to right.
 
Sophomore reliever Max Mead (Lakewood HS, Lakewood, Colo.) blanked Cornell for three innings and the Vikings made things interesting with an eight-run eighth.
 
Mason Davis came on for the Rams to start the inning, relieving Adam Tvedt, who had thrown two scoreless frames. He loaded the bases with consecutive walks to Griffin Schuster (North Boone HS, Poplar Grove, Ill.), Drew Davis (Illini Bluffs HS, Mapleton, Ill.) and Nick Kirk (Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.). Hunter Davis came out of the Cornell pen and Kairis greeted him with an RBI single to make it 11-3. Nunez's fielder's choice grounder plated another run and Kirk scored when Jake Huber's (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) fly to right was misplayed. Two more walks forced in another run and Huber scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 11-7. Gunnar Haskins (Alleman HS, Moline, Ill.) scored on a passed ball and Drew Davis' two-out two-run double to left pulled Augustana to within 11-10. Ryan Hosch finally got the Rams out of the inning, leaving runners stranded at first and third.
 
After John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) retired Cornell in the top of the ninth, Zachary Greenwald came on to throw the bottom half and set the Vikings down in order to earn the save.
 
Aided by two Augustana errors, the visitors jumped on top with four runs against Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) in the top of the first. Cale Jamesson's two-run double was the big hit.
 
The Rams added single runs in the third and fourth before extending their advantage to 11-0 with five in the fifth. John-Michael Osley singled in two runs and Keenan Bryant one.
 
Cameron Anfang started for Cornell and went five innings to earn his third win in as many decisions this year. He allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), walking one while fanning seven. Refka lasted three innings and fell to 1-1  with the loss.
 
In his first game back after an injury, Kairis went 3-for-6 at the plate. Owens went 2-for-4. Huber scored twice and Nunez and Davis each drove in a pair. Osley led a 15-hit Ram attack with a 5-for-6 performance.
 
The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, March 23, playing a noon twin bill at Rockford.