MOLINE, Ill. – Mitchell Owens' (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning Sunday helped Augustana achieve a doubleheader split with Rockford at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Regents won the opener 8-1, while Owens' hit lifted the Vikings to a 4-3 win in the nightcap. Coach Greg Wallace's club moved to 10-4-1 on the year heading into its CCIW opener versus Millikin on Wednesday, March 27 at Swanson/Brunner. Rockford is now 4-7.

 

ROCKFORD 8, AUGUSTANA 1
 
Regent hurlers Zachary Jones and Joseph Kmiec handcuffed Augustana on five hits in the opener. After Rockford plated an unearned run off Matt Hoban (Monarch HS, Westminster, Colo.) in the top of the second, the Vikings lone run came in the bottom half when Owens drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) single.
 
The Regents took the lead with three in the fifth. Corey Saracco's two-run single was the big hit. They scored a run in the sixth on a wild pitch to make it 5-1 and Jacob Rillamas' two-run single was the big hit in a three-run Rockford eighth.
 
Meanwhile Jones lasted through six before giving way to Kmiec, who blanked the Vikings over the final three frames.
 
Hoban lasted six innings and gave up six hits and five runs, although none were earned. He walked two and fanned five and dropped to 0-1 with the loss. Jones (1-1) allowed three hits and a run in six innings to earn the win. Kmiec was credited with his first save.
 
Kairis had three of Augustana's five hits.
 
AUGUSTANA 4, ROCKFORD 3 (11)
 
With the second game tied 3-3, Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a single to left off Joseph Valdez. Kairis legged out an infield hit and Tyler Nunez's (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) sacrifice moved the runners to second and third. That brought up Owens, who singled to left to plate Mosele with the game-winner.
 
Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead against Rockford's Christian Pearcy, doubling in Kairis in the bottom of the first.
 
The Regents got to Augustana starter Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) for two in the third and one in the sixth to go up 3-1. Michael Gunter and Saracco had RBI singles in the third and Christian Bermeo a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
 
Mosele drew a leadoff walk in a two-run Viking seventh that tied the game. Kairis followed with a single and Nunez with a sacrifice before Owens' sacrifice fly to right scored Mosele to make it 3-2. Jake Huber's (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) single to right center brought Kairis in with the tying run.
 
Augustana threatened in the ninth, but Valdez escaped with the help of a home-to-first double play. Rockford threatened in the top of the 11th, but John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) struck out the last two batters to leave two Regents stranded.
 
Hayes gave up just two hits and fanned five in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He picked up this third win against just one loss. Valdez (0-3) suffered the loss despite allowing just one run in 3 1/3 innings.
 
Kairis banged out four more hits to finish the day with seven. He and Mosele each scored twice. Owens and Nunez had two hits apiece and Owens knocked in two runs.