MOLINE, Ill. – Trailing 8-5 with two outs and no one on in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday, Augustana rallied for four runs to pull out a 9-8 win over Illinois Wesleyan at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. The victory lifted the Vikings to 27-6 on the year and 19-6 in the CCIW, while the Titans fell to 16-17 overall and 11-14 in the league.
 
IWU reliever Scott Monocchio had thrown two scoreless innings entering the ninth and appeared to be in control when he retired the first two batters. However, Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) drew a walk and Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) took a slow curve off the helmet to bring Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) to the plate representing the tying run.
 
Helms singled to center, scoring Owens and when Ozanic beat the throw to third, it allowed Helms to move to second. Nick Watson came on in relief of Monocchio and walked pinch-hitter Chase Maifield (Grant HS, Round Lake, Ill.) on four pitches to load the bases. Trevor Moore (Boulder HS, Boulder, Colo.) ran for Maifield, with Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) stepping into the box. A passed ball allowed Ozanic to score, making it 8-7. Benedetti then singled through the middle, scoring Helms with the tying run and Moore, who easily beat the throw home with the game-winner.
 
The Titans scored a run in the top of the first, but Augustana starter Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) pitched out of further trouble, leaving the bases loaded. Owens had an RBI double in the bottom half and scored on a wild pitch to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
 
After Cregan stranded three more IWU runners in the third and two in the fourth, his teammates added two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Both Ozanic and Griffen Pschigoda (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.) doubled to left to score one and after a pair of walks, Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) was hit by a pitch to force in the second.
 
Ozanic's fielder's choice grounder in the fifth scored Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) to make it 5-1 Vikings.
 
The Titans plated four in the sixth to tie it, knocking out Cregan in the process. Jacob Cyrus' two-run double to right center was the big hit.
 
IWU took the lead with two in the seventh and added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. All three runs were unearned.
 
John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.), who came on in the top of the ninth to get the final three outs, earned his fourth win in as many decisions this year. Cregan went five-plus innings and gave up nine hits and three runs. Monocchio (0-1) took the loss.
 
Ozanic finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Simon and Owens—who tied an Augustana single-season record with his 15th hit-by-pitch—each scored twice and Benedetti knocked in a pair. Ethan Burgh had three hits, Dom DiLello three runs and Jared Mutter three RBI for the Titans.
 
The Vikings travel to Waukesha, Wisconsin on Thursday, May 6, for a single contest versus Carroll.