Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Augustana baseball (29-10, 11-7) split their final double-header of the regular season today at Wheaton (17-18, 10-7). Wheaton took the opening game of the day while the Vikings won the nightcap.
 
Augustana's win in Game 2 marked head coach Greg Wallace's 700^th-career victory at the helm of the Augustana baseball program.
 
In Game 1, Wheaton jumped out to a 1-0 start with a Matthias Haggerty RBI single. After a scoreless second inning, both teams traded runs in the third. Kyle Campbell reached safely on a fielder's choice which allowed Jacob Barker to score. Wheaton then regained the lead on a balk.
 
The score remained until the home half of the sixth innings when the Thunder rattled off four runs on three base hits. Wheaton added two more in the seventh on a sac fly and a Viking fielding error to make the score 8-4.
 
Augustana did their best to fight back into the contest in the eighth and ninth innings. Barker cleared the bases with a triple to right center Chase Maifield then singled in Campbell in the final frame, but the Vikings could not produce any more offense and fell 8-5.
 
Maifield led the Viking attack in Game 1 with three hits in five at bats. Barker and Brett Benedetti also recorded multiple hits while Barker's three RBI led Augie in that category. Augustana starter Josh Wintroub took the loss to move to 6-3 on the year. Wintroub's line included six strikeouts with nine hits allowed.
 
Game 2 started much more competitively with three scoreless innings to open play. Wheaton finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth with Tyler Weiner RBI single. The Vikings eventually took their first lead of the day in the top of the fifth inning when Alex Simon and Matt Ozanic both walked in a run.
 
Leading 2-1, Augie built upon their lead in the ninth with seven runs. Zachary Vrbancic started the stanza with an RBI single before Jacob Barker continued his stellar day with a bases-clearing double. Kyle Campbell walked in another run while a Maifield fielder's choice and Benedetti sacrifice fly scored two more.
 
Wheaton managed a final run in the bottom of the ninth on a Ben Weaver single, but the Thunder could not rally any further and lost the nightcap 9-2.
 
Simon, Benedetti, and Kyle Wise led the Vikings in Game 2 with two hits apiece. Benedetti and Cole Green scored two runs each while Barker recorded another three RBI. Addison Southwick earned the pitching win in five innings of relief work to maintain an unbeaten record. Southwick struck out seven while walking four and allowing just four hits and one run.
 
The Vikings will be back in action next week at the 2022 CCIW Baseball Tournament in Naperville, Ill.