CHICAGO, Ill. – Senior John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) tied the school record for career saves on Sunday as Augustana rode a four-run third inning to a 7-5 win over North Park at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. Coach Greg Wallace's crew moved to 13-2 on the year and 5-2 in the CCIW, while the guests dropped to 6-7 overall and 1-7 in the league.
 
Each team plated a run in the first. Augustana starter Alec Michaelson (Willowbrook HS, Lombard, Ill.) hurt his own cause with a bad throw on a pickoff attempt which enabled Ranko Stevanovic to single in the game's first run. Michaelson coaxed a double-play grounder to get out of the inning with no further damage. The hosts tied it in the bottom half on a single by Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) and Matt Ozanic's (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) RBI triple to right center.
 
Michaelson settled in and his teammates put up four runs in the third. Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) led off with a single. Jacob Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) followed with a bunt hit and Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) singled to center, scoring Vrbancic with the go-ahead run. Ozanic drove in a run with a fielder's choice and Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) knocked in a pair with a bases-loaded double to make it 5-1 after three.
 
North Park's Brad Maurer had an RBI single in the top of the fourth, but Augustana answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth. Vrbancic led off the fourth with a single to right and Barker and Simon followed with consecutive bunt singles to load the bases. Ozanic delivered Vrbancic with a sacrifice fly to center. In the fifth, Vrbancic plated a run with a safety squeeze to make it 7-2.
 
North Park put together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh to knock out Michaelson. Logan Peters drew a two-out walk and scored on a Jake Reinhardt triple. Josh Wintroub (Heritage HS, Littleton, Colo.) came out of the pen and balked in Reinhardt before getting a flyout to end the inning.
 
The visitors whittled away at the deficit further in the eighth. After Bobby Bartlett drew a leadoff walk, Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) came on in relief of Wintroub. Another walk and a single loaded the bases, prompting Wallace to call on Hayes. A wild pitch scored Bartlett to make it 7-5, but the Augustana closer retired the next three batters to leave two runners stranded.
 
Hayes pitched around a one-out single in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season and 13th of his career—tying Teddy Grothe's school record set from 2000-03.
 
Michaelson improved to 2-0 with win. North Park starter Bartlett (0-2) suffered the loss.
 
Vrbancic, Barker and Simon each had two of Augustana's 11 hits. Vrbancic scored twice and Ozanic had three RBI. Stevanovic went 4-for-4 for North Park.
 
Augustana is back in action on Tuesday, March 30, travelling to Waukesha, Wisconsin for a 3:00 p.m. single game versus Carroll.