MOLINE, Ill. – After riding a pair of four-run ninth innings to a doubleheader sweep of Carthage on Saturday, Augustana used a four-run seventh to complete the series sweep on Monday. The Vikings defeated the Red Men 5-3 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field for their eighth consecutive win, moving to 20-5-1 on the season and 9-1 in the CCIW. Carthage dropped to 14-13 overall and 4-8 in the league.

 

Trailing 2-1 going to the bottom of the seventh, Augustana got a one-out single from freshman Drew Davis (Illini Bluffs HS, Mapleton, Ill.) and another by junior Sam Beyer (Legend HS, Parker, Colo.) moved him to second and knocked out Red Men starter Jacob Delabio in favor of Ben Rietz.
 
Senior Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) greeted Rietz with a double, delivering Davis with the tying run, and Ryan Kairis' (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) single to right plated Beyer to put the Vikings on top 3-2. One out later, Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) came through with a two-run single to center to make it 5-2.
 
Carthage got to Augustana starter Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) for a run in the top of the eighth on Johnny Belskis' RBI single. However, sophomore Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) came out of the pen to leave runners stranded at second and third and then set the Red Men down in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
 
The visitors touched Cregan for a run each in the first and second innings. The Vikings scored one in the bottom of the first. Kairis reached on an error leading off, stole second and scored on a Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) single.
 
Each starter settled in and put up five straight goose eggs before Augustana's big seventh.
 
Cregan lasted 7 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs with one walk and four strikeouts. He got the win to move to 4-0 on the year.
 
Delabio (0-5) was a tough-luck loser. He gave up just four hits and two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. He walked three while fanning nine.
 
Grannemann had two hits and two RBI to lead the Viking offense. Kairis scored twice.
 
Coach Greg Wallace's club is scheduled to play a twin bill at Millikin on Tuesday, April 16 beginning at 4:00 p.m.