CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Trailing 7-4 going to the bottom of the fifth in its CCIW Tournament opener against Elmhurst Wednesday, Augustana exploded for eight runs and went on to defeat the Bluejays 12-9 at Lee Pfund Stadium. The 24th-ranked Vikings improved to 34-7 on the year and advanced in the winners' bracket to face Millikin on Thursday, May 20. Elmhurst dropped to the losers' bracket with a 17-24 record.
The Bluejays scored four runs in the top of the fifth to go up 7-4, knocking out Augustana starter
Alec Michaelson (Willowbrook HS, Lombard, Ill.) in the process. However,
Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half to spark the Vikings' rally.
Kyle Wise (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) singled Benedetti to second and both runners moved up on an
Alec McGinnis (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) sacrifice.
Zachary Vrbancic's (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) groundout to short scored Benedetti to make it 7-5. The next batter,
Michael Gattuso (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.), reached on catcher's interference to keep the inning alive.
After Noah Jordan came on in relief of starter Alex Kielion,
Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) walked to load the bases. Augustana tied it when consecutive runs were forced in on a
Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) hit-by-pitch and a walk to
Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.). That brought Jay Palmer out of the Elmhurst pen and
Griffen Pschigoda (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) greeted him with a two-run double to the gap in left center. Ozanic scored on a wild pitch, Wise drove in a run with an infield hit and Benedetti scored the eighth run of the frame when McGinnis beat the throw to second on Vrbancic's fielder's choice grounder.
The Bluejays plated single runs in the sixth and eighth innings, but Coach
Greg Wallace called on
John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) in the ninth and the Viking closer pitched around a one-out walk to close things out and earned his eighth save.
Carter Truong led off the game with a home run and Troy Taller's RBI single to right gave Elmhurst a 2-0 lead after a half inning. Ozanic doubled in Owens in the bottom of the first, but Taller's solo homer to left in the fourth made it 3-1.
Augustana took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Wise pulled a one-out double down the right field line and scored on McGinnis' single to center. Owens' bases-loaded single plated two runs to put the Vikings up 4-3.
The Bluejays went back on top with four in the fifth. Doubles by Charlie May and Trey Romay scored one run and Lorenzo Farino blasted a three-run homer to make it 7-4.
Jacob Reusch (Mercer County HS, Aledo, Ill.) relieved Michaelson and retired the next two batters to get out of the inning and keep the deficit at three.
Reusch (1-0) went 1 2/3 innings and was credited with the win. Jordan suffered the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year.
Owens, who homered three times against Elmhurst on Saturday, continued his recent tear, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three driven in. Wise finished 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Vrbancic had two hits and two RBI, Ozanic and Pschigoda each drove in a pair and Benedetti scored twice.
Second-seeded Augustana will be back at Lee Pfund Stadium on Thursday, May 20 to take on third seed Millikin (28-13) beginning at approximately 3:00 p.m.
