NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Augustana baseball (30-10) began play at the 2022 CCIW Tournament this evening with a narrow 7-6 victory over Wheaton (18-19). The Vikings' defeat of Wheaton was their second-straight over the Thunder.
 
Augustana started the scoring in the first inning when Kyle Campbell brough Jacob Barker home on a sacrifice fly. Wheaton matched in the second inning with a sac fly of their own by Mason Diel.
 
Both teams continued in the third inning as Augustana plated four and Wheaton managed two more runs. Campbell delivered for the Vikings again with a two-RBI single through the right side before Brett Benedetti and Cole Green each singled. Ben Weaver and Joe Klein continued the sacrificial trend with a pair of fly ball RBI to stay within two runs.
 
Trailing 5-3, the Thunder jumped in front and garnered their first lead of the matchup in the fifth. Klein singled in another run for his second RBI of the day before Diel chipped in again to score two more.
 
After two scoreless frames, Augustana got things going again in the eighth and ninth. Campbell continued his productive evening with an RBI double to right to plate Matt Ozanic and tie the game 6-6. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, Giacomo Fanizza reached safely on a Thunder throwing error which allowed Brett Benedetti to score the game-winning run as the Vikings eked out the 7-6 victory.
 
Campbell led the Vikings offense going 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Green and Benedetti also recorded multiple hits while Barker was the only Augie player to score more than one run. Reliever Bryce Luckey earned the pitching win after going 3.2 innings with a strikeout and a walk. Second-Team All-CCIW reliever Addison Southwick picked up his second save of the year with an inning of work and two K's.
 
The Vikings will continue tournament play tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. in Naperville when they take on Millikin. Augie is seeking its second win over the Big Blue after splitting the regular season series.