MOLINE, Ill. – Wheaton got more solid pitching Saturday and completed a three-game weekend sweep of Augustana with a 4-3 win at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Vikings dropped to 22-8-1 on the season and 11-4 in the CCIW, while the Thunder improved to 21-10 and 11-7, respectively.

 

Augustana got on the board first, plating an unearned run against Wheaton starter Christian Bolhuis in the bottom of the second. Freshman Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) reached on a one-out error and advanced to second on a Sam Beyer (Legend HS, Parker, Colo.) single. Freshman Josh Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) punched a hit through the left side and Ozanic came around to score the game's first run.
 
The Thunder answered with three in the top of the third. Nick Mailman and Ben Brittain touched Viking starter Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) consecutive singles to start the inning. Joel Pierce doubled over the head of Barker in center to score Mailman with the tying run. Cregan retired the next two batters and looked like he would escape further damage, but Sam Reichert doubled off the wall in left, scoring Brittain and Pierce.
 
Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) had a one-out double in the bottom of the third and scored on a Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) single to make it 3-2.
 
Senior Mike Powers (Benet Academy, Westmont, Ill.) took the mound to start the fourth, seeing his first action since February 25. After fanning the first batter he faced, Powers walked Luke Roudabush and then unleashed an errant pickoff throw that allowed Roudabush to go all the way to third. Mailman followed with an RBI single to extend Wheaton's lead to 4-2.
 
Augustana trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the fifth. Freshman Drew Davis (Illini Bluffs HS, Mapleton, Ill.) reached on a sun-aided double to right with one out. One out later, Owens singled to center, plating Davis to make it 4-3.
 
Powers went four more innings without allowing another run and Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) and John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) combined for a scoreless ninth. Bolhuis lasted through six innings before Caleb Selk, Jacob Garrity and David Solfelt threw a perfect frame each.
 
Bolhuis (4-3) scattered eight hits and allowed three runs (two earned) to get the win. He fanned five. Solfelt earned his third save. None of the four Thunder hurlers walked a batter. Cregan suffered his first loss in five decisions this year. Powers allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three in a five-inning stint.
 
Owens finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and Nunez had a pair of doubles in four at-bats.
 
Next up for Coach Greg Wallace's club is a single game at Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, April 24 at 3:00 p.m.