MOLINE, Ill. – Coach Greg Wallace used seven pitchers Thursday in a makeup date against Cornell and the seven combined on a two-hit shutout, as Augustana defeated the Rams 8-0 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The Vikings improved to 8-0 heading into this weekend's CCIW-opening series with North Central, while Cornell fell to 0-10 on the season.
 
Senior Max Mead (Lakewood HS, Lakewood, Ill.) got Wallace's nod as the starter and was the only one of 15 hurlers in the game to go more than one inning. He went three frames, retiring the first eight batters he faced without the ball leaving the infield. Rams' number nine hitter Mitch Lawson finally touched him for a single to left with two outs in the third, but he retired Caleb Sass on a flyout to Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) in center to finish his stint.
 
Augustana plated four runs in the bottom of the second off Chad Dzierba—the second of eight Cornell pitchers. Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) pounded a one-out double to left through a stiff wind and Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) drove him in with a two-bagger down the right field line. Ozanic moved to third on a passed ball and then used a nifty head-first slide to score on Griffen Pschigoda's (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) tapper to back Dzierba. After consecutive hit batters loaded the bases, freshman Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) dropped a two-run double down the left field to make it 4-0 after two.
 
As Viking relievers continue to handcuff the Rams, Augustana left the bases loaded in the third before adding to the lead with a run in the sixth. Freshman Alec McGinnis (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Classmate Carter Foat (McHenry HS, McHenry, Ill.) sacrificed him to third and he scored on Benedetti's grounder to second.
 
The hosts tacked on their final three runs in the seventh. Pinch-runner Michael Gattuso (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.) beat the throw home on a safety squeeze by Ozanic and pinch-hitter Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) delivered a two-out, two-run single.
 
Brandon Johnson (Rye HS, Colorado City, Colo.) pitched around Cornell's second hit to retire the Rams in the eighth and freshman Addison Southwick (Arvada West HS, Arvada, Colo.) issued the staff's only walk of the day in the ninth before coaxing a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
 
Mead fanned three in his three innings. Jacob Irwin (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) (1-0), who retired the side in order in the fourth, was credited with the win. Jacob Reusch (Mercer County HS, Aledo, Ill.), Josh Wintroub (Heritage HS, Littleton, Colo.) and Nathaniel Sammer (Le Roy HS, Le Roy, Ill.) each threw a scoreless frame as well.
 
Ozanic had two doubles in two at-bats, scored twice and knocked in a pair. Helms finish 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and Simon and Vrbancic each had two RBI.
 
Augustana opens CCIW play on Saturday, March 20, hosting North Central in a 1:00 p.m. twin bill at Swanson/Brunner.