DECATUR, Ill. – Augustana got outstanding pitching and a pair of long balls Tuesday on its way to a 4-2, 2-1 doubleheader sweep of Millikin at Sunnyside Park. The two victories extended the Vikings' winning streak to 10 in a row, as Coach Greg Wallace's club improved to 22-5-1 overall and 11-1 in the CCIW. The Big Blue fell to 12-15 on the season and 7-8 in the league. Augustana is back in action on Friday,

April 19 for a 1:00 p.m. twin bill versus Wheaton in Carol Stream, Illinois.
 
AUGUSTANA 4, MILLIKIN 2
 
Junior right-hander Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) retired the final 16 batters he faced in a complete-game effort in the opener.
 
A Mason Bruce double and Andrew Auton's RBI single in the bottom of the second gave Millikin a 1-0 lead and the Vikings tied it with a run in the top of the third. Junior Sam Beyer (Legend HS, Parker, Colo.) legged out an infield hit leading off and moved to second on a throwing error. Senior Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) moved him to third with a sacrifice and Beyer scored on Ryan Kairis' (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) RBI grounder to second.
 
Refka plunked Jon Walters leading off the fourth. Bruce singled one out later and another by Luke Azzarelli plated Walters with the go-ahead run. However, Beyer's throw from right cut down Bruce at third and Refka fanned Auton to finish the inning. Azzarelli would be the last Big Blue to reach in the game.
 
Augustana took the lead with a pair in the fifth. Freshman Drew Davis (Illini Bluffs HS, Mapleton, Ill.) and Beyer had consecutive one-out singles off Millikin starter Derek Kortemeier and Kairis walked on four straight pitches to load the bases with two outs. Senior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) then singled to right on a 0-1 Kortemeier offering, scoring Davis and Beyer with the tying and go-ahead runs.
 
Although he wouldn't need it, the Vikings gave Refka an insurance run in the eighth when sophomore Griffen Pschigoda (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) singled in pinch-runner Josh Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.).
 
Refka moved to 4-1 on the season. He allowed five hits, walked none and fanned five in a 99-pitch gem. Kortemeier lasted 5 2/3 and took the loss, falling to 1-2.
 
Beyer went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Pschigoda finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and Nunez knocked in a pair.
 
AUGUSTANA 2, MILLIKIN 1
 
Starters Connor Berek (Riverside-Brookfield HS, Brookfield, Ill.) and Brent Beals dueled each other for seven scoreless innings in the nightcap.
 
Augustana's best threats came in the third, when Beals left Mosele stranded at third, and in the sixth, when he left the bags full of Vikings. Berek left two Millikin runners stranded in both the sixth and seventh innings.
 
The visitors got on the board in the eighth when Kairis and Nunez hit back-to-back homers to start the frame. Jared Buzan came out of the Big Blue pen and avoided further damage.
 
Berek exited in favor of John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) after putting the first two runners on in the bottom of the eighth. Millikin scraped out a run when Beals, now the designated hitter, beat out a potential double-play grounder. However, Hayes coaxed an inning-ending flyout from Auton and pitched around a single in the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.
 
Berek allowed just three hits and a run in seven-plus innings. He walked four and struck out seven and improved to 2-2 with the win. Beals (0-1) surrendered seven hits and a walk, fanning eight in seven-plus innings.
 
Nunez finished 3-for-4 at the plate and Kairis went 2-for-4.