MOLINE, Ill. – With the wind blowing out at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field on Wednesday, March 27 Augustana was able to hold off Millikin and capture an 11-10 victory in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin baseball opener for both teams. The two teams combined for 21 runs, 28 hits, six walks and four errors in a game where a total of eight players had multiple hits and offense was supreme.
 
The Vikings of veteran head coach Greg Wallace, who is inching ever closer to 700 career victories, used two big innings to dispatch of the Big Blue. Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth Augustana ripped off six runs in that frame and then came back to notch four in the fifth.
 
With one out in the fourth senior catcher Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) doubled to right center and he scored on a single by sophomore left fielder Mitch Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.). After an infield pop-up for the second out the Viking bats got serious. Freshman right fielder Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) singled to left and went to second on an error in the outfield. Owens came all the way around to score the run that tied the game at 3-3. Helms moved to third on an errant pick-off attempt and junior third baseman Will Troia (Boylan Catholic HS, Rockford, Ill.) singled to right field to score Helms to give Augustana a lead (4-3) that it wouldn't relinquish.
 
Senior shortstop Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) kept the line moving with a single to leave to move Troika to second. Senior center fielder Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) walked to load the bases. A single to right by senior second baseman Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) drove in Troia and Mosele and moved Kairis to third. Kairis eventually scored on a wild pitch for the sixth run of the inning to give the home team a7-3 lead.
 
Millikin put across a single run in the fifth but Augustana came back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth . Grannemann once again started things off with a double to center field and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Gunnar Haskins (Alleman Catholic HS, Moline, Ill.) walked and Helms also drew a base on balls to load the bases. Troia's single to center plated Grannemann and Haskins and moved Helms to second. Mosele walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Helms and moved Mosele to second and Troia to third. A Kairis single to right brought Troia home with the fourth run of the inning and the 11^th run of the game for the Vikings.
 
Augustana would be done scoring but Millikin scored three runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth to tighten things up.
 
In the top of the ninth Wallace called on sophomore John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) and he gave up one hit but struck out one and retired the side to preserve the victory for Augustana.
 
Junior Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) worked 5 1/3 innings and picked up the victory, his second of the year against one defeat. Hayes was credited with his third save of the year.
 
Troia had three hits with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Owens had two hits, including a solo home run in the second that tied the game 1-1 and Grannemann and Kairis also had two hits.
 
Millikin hit two home runs in the game and banged out 16 hits against four Augustana pitchers.
 
The Vikings are now 11-4-1 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW while Millikin is 4-8 and 0-1 in the league. Augustana will play a double header at North Park on Saturday, March 30 and a single game at home against North Park on Sunday, March 31.