JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Augustana baseball (4-1) completed a 1-1 Sunday slate earlier with games against Loras College (2-0) and Illinois College (0-2). The Vikings' matchup with Loras ended in their first loss of the season. Augie bounced back in the evening with a dominant win over Illinois College.
In the first game of the day, Augustana built a substantial early lead over Loras before a remarkable comeback effort by the Duhawks.
Matt Helms got the Vikings on the board first with an RBI single to score lead-off man
Jacob Barker.
Kyle Campbell and
Alec McGinnis followed suit with two RBI singles of their own. Augustana continued to build their lead in the third inning with a McGinnis RBI bunt and
Zachary Vrbancic single.
Trailing 5-0, Loras' comeback started in the fourth frame when Daniel Rogers plated two runs. The Loras deficit was trimmed even further just a few batters later when Dylan Pardoe scored on a Ryan Wohlers single. The next inning saw the Duhawks knot the game at five runs when a Max Cullen double scored Luke Fennelly and Dakota Church. Loras eventually took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning on a Max McCallum single.
Augustana fought back with a run of their own in the sixth to even the tally, and eventually regained the advantage on a Campbell single. Loras took control in the ninth inning and took a commanding 11-7 lead on four singles. McGinnis provided the last gasp for Augie with a solo shot home run in the last half, but the Vikings fell short 11-8 for their first loss of the year.
Harrison Boushele started on the mound for the Vikings and tossed 4.2 innings with seven K's and three walks.
Josh Wintroub saw 3.1 innings of action and struck out three while
Nathaniel Sammer took the loss while recording just one out in relief.
Loras reliever Nick DiBenedetto earned the victory for the Duhawks, his first of the year, with three strikeouts three innings in relief.
Augustana had much more success in the second game of the day, routing the host squad from Illinois College bv a 16-1 score.
The Vikings scored early and often with eight runs in the first two innings.
Kyle Wise started the action a two-RBI double in the first frame. McGinnis' productive day continued by scoring on an error in to kick off an explosive second inning. Barker continued the onslaught with a triple to plate Vrbancic and
Chase Maifield. Augustana scored three more runs on another error, a wild pitch, and a passed ball to take an 8-1 lead. Augie continued to pour it on in the final three innings with another eight runs across the plate. The Vikings benefitted from three more wild pitches, a
Matt Ozanic sacrifice fly, a
Jaden Dellitt triple, and another McGinnis long ball.
Matt Hoban earned the victory on the bump for his second of the season. The fifth-year right-hander tossed five full innings and recorded eight strikeouts and just two walks while giving up just one run. Illinois College's starter, Christian Stawar, took the loss while throwing just one inning for the Blueboys.
Augie baseball will travel to Florida for their next action at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers. The Vikings will take on Plymouth State twice, St. John's (Minn.), and Bluffton from Friday, Mar. 4 to Monday, Mar. 7.
