CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings baseball team conquered the elimination game against the Carthage Firebirds on Friday by a score of 8-3 to move on to Saturday's action of the CCIW Tournament. 

Augie kicked off the game reaching base via an error, followed by a walk and a wild pitch to set up two runners in scoring position. Dymitri Kanellakis brought both runners home after a single to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead early on. Carthage put up a run in the bottom half of the opening frame to cut the margin in half.

Both teams remained scoreless until the Vikings tallied another run in the top of the fifth. Cole Green was first to bat in the inning and singled to right field, later running home after Simon laid down a bunt and advanced to second after an error. Carthage answered again during its ensuing at-bat, this time plating two runs to even the score exiting the fifth inning.

In the sixth, Augustana claimed the lead for good. Michael Aragon reached base after hitting into a fielder's choice and stole second, while Alec McGinnis walked and Heath Perry reached first after an error from the Firebirds. With the bases loaded and two outs, Simon singled up the middle to send Aragon and McGinnis in. Daniel Mosele followed with an RBI single to right field to allow Perry to cross home plate and increase the gap to 6-3. 

The ninth inning started with a double from Simon and a sacrifice bunt by Mosele to move him to third. Back-to-back walks followed, setting up a bases-loaded situation. Kanellakis brought the two leading runners home with his second run-scoring hit of the game to move the advantage out to five. Anthony Sus worked around a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth to seal the 8-3 win.

Simon and Kanellakis led the Vikings in the win with three hits a piece, while Kanellakis batted three runs in. Riley Fuller earned the win on the mound with seven innings pitched and three strikeouts and Sus secured the save after pitching two innings with three strikeouts. 

With the win, Augie moves to 26-16 on the season and will be back in action tomorrow at 5:30 to play the loser of the game between North Park and Millikin.