MOLINE, Ill. – Augustana scored 14 runs for the second time in three games and
Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) threw his second complete game of the season Sunday as
Senior Gunnar Haskins went 2-for-4
Sunday with two runs scored and two
driven in as Augustana defeated North
Park 14-4 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner
Field.
Coach
Greg Wallace's club downed North Park 14-4 in a mercy rule-shortened contest at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The host Vikings improved to 13-5-1 on the year and 3-1 in the CCIW, while the visiting Vikings dropped to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in the league.
After a scoreless first, Augustana treated its guests to some hospitality in the top of the second, committing three errors that led to three North Park runs. Cullen Gilbertson's single, NPU's fourth hit of the inning, scored Jared Cantu to make it 3-0 after an inning and a half.
It didn't take long for Cregan's teammates to answer. Augustana banged out six hits, including
Gunnar Haskins' (Alleman HS, Moline, Ill.) two-run double off the center field wall, and scored seven runs in the frame.
Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) and
Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) added RBI singles.
The hosts added three in the third, knocking out North Park starter Michael Pritts.
Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline., Ill.) and Haskins had consecutive singles to start the inning and Augustana took advantage of an error, two walks and wild pitch and a passed ball as well.
Owens led off the fourth with a walk and scored to make it 11-3 before NPU plated another unearned run in the top of the fifth.
Augustana ended the game early with three in the bottom of the seventh. Kairis led off with a single, stole second and scored on an error. Owens singled in a run and freshman
Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) reached on a fielder's choice that scored
Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) to account for the final.
Cregan scattered 10 hits and allowed no earned runs to get his third win in as many decisions this year. He walked two and fanned two. Pritts lasted just 2 2/3 innings and took the loss, falling to 0-2.
Owens finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Haskins was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two knocked in and Kairis was 2-for-3 with two scored and one driven in. Granneman and
Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) each scored twice as well.
Wallace's bunch is back at Swanson/Brunner on Tuesday, April 2, hosting Illinois Wesleyan in a CCIW doubleheader scheduled for noon.
