CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Augustana scored in each of the first four innings Wednesday on its way to a 12-2 win over Wheaton at Lee Pfund Stadium. Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) went the distance on the mound and freshman Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) reached in all six plate appearances as the Vikings improved to 30-7 on the season and 22-7 in the CCIW. The host Thunder fell to 13-24 overall and 9-20 in the conference.
 
Augustana took a 2-0 lead without the benefit of a hit in the first. Michael Gattuso (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.) was hit by a Brendan Dyer pitch leading off and moved to second when Simon walked. Dyer retired the next two Vikings on strikes, but Griffen Pschigoda (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) drew another walk and Gattuso and Simon scored when Kyle Wise (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) reached on an error.
 
The Vikings added three in the second. Alec McGinnis (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) led off with a single to center and later scored on Simon's RBI single to left center. Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) knocked in a run with a single to left and Simon scored when the catcher's attempt to pick him off third ended up in left field.
 
Wise led off the third with a double to left center and McGinnis singled him in one out later to make it 6-0. Coach Greg Wallace's club tagged reliever A.J. Duhs for three runs in the top of the fourth. Simon doubled to right center leading off. Pschigoda singled in two runs and later scored when Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) was hit with the bases loaded to put Augustana up 9-0.
 
Cregan retired nine of the first ten batters he faced before the Thunder got to him for their only two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jesse Welch had a leadoff double and scored on a Ben Weaver triple. One out later, Joel Pierce singled in Weaver to make it 9-2.
 
Wise drew a leadoff walk and scored on Vrbancic's RBI groundout in the sixth and McGinnis (walk) and Gattuso (single) both scored on wild pitches in the eighth to bump the margin to 12-2.
 
Cregan, who retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced, set Wheaton down in order in the eighth to end the contest an inning early.
 
The complete game was the first of the season for the Vikings. Cregan allowed five hits and two runs, walked none and fanned six to improve to 4-1 on the season. Dyer (4-4) went three innings and suffered the loss.
 
Simon finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored and one driven in. He also walked twice and was one of six Vikings hit by a pitch. McGinnis was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI and Gattuso went 2-for-5 with three runs scored.
 
Wallace's crew is back in action on Thursday, May 13, hosting Elmhurst in the 2021 home finale. First pitch at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.