JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) had three hits and drove in three runs and hurlers
Matt Hoban (Monarch HS, Westminster, Colo.) and
Alec Michaelson (Willowbrook HS, Willowbrook, Ill.) handcuffed Loras Saturday as Augustana defeated the Duhawks 6-1 in a game played at Illinois College. Coach
Greg Wallace's club improved to 3-0 on the season, while Loras dropped to 1-1.
Starters Hoban and Duhawk Erik Edminster put up goose eggs through three innings, but the Vikings got to Edminster for three runs in the fourth.
Kyle Wise (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on
Matt Helms' (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) double to left. Ozanic plated Wise with a single to center and
Griffen Pschigoda's (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) double to left scored Helms to make it 2-0. One out later,
Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) delivered Ozanic with a sacrifice fly to right.
After Hoban left two Duhawks stranded in the top of the fifth, his teammates tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom half. Edminster hit both
Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) and
Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) to start the frame and they moved to second and third on a Wise groundout. One out later, Ozanic came through with a two-run double to left off reliever Ethan Peters to make it 5-0 Augustana.
Hoban exited after five shutout innings in favor of Michaelson, who kept the Duhawks quiet for the next three frames.
In the bottom of the eighth, freshman
Alec McGinnis (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) drew a one-out walk, moved to third on a Vrbancic single and was singled in by
Jacob Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) to make it 6-0 Vikings.
Loras touched Michaelson for an unearned run in the top of the ninth, but he finished off a four-inning stint by getting Nick DiBenedetto to fly to Barker in center to end the game.
Hoban (1-0) gave up three hits and walked two with five strikeouts. Michaelson also allowed three hits while fanning five. He didn't walk a batter and earned his first save of the year.
Wallace's crew is back in action at Illinois College on Sunday, March 7, taking on the hosts in a doubleheader scheduled for noon.
