MOLINE, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings baseball team split a doubleheader with Illinois Wesleyan on Friday afternoon, dropping the opener 9–4 before bouncing back in dominant fashion with a 14–5 win in Game Two.

GAME ONE

Illinois Wesleyan struck early in the opener, plating three runs in the first inning, but Augustana answered in the bottom half. Riley Hendren was hit by a pitch to lead things off, and after Ryan Coon worked a walk, both runners moved into scoring position. Charlie Bergin put the Vikings on the board with a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home Hendren to make it 3–1.

The Vikings kept the deficit at three until breaking through in the sixth inning. Coon again sparked the offense with a walk before swiping second, and Bergin followed with another walk to put two on. AJ Macak then delivered a single to left to load the bases, setting the table for Zach Quimby, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Coon. After Ethan Sosnowski was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, Lawson Shickel came through in a big spot, ripping a double to left center to drive in both Macak and Bergin, tying the game at 4–4.

However, the tie was short-lived as the Titans responded with three runs in the seventh and added insurance in the eighth and ninth. Augustana was unable to answer down the stretch, falling 9–4 in the opener.

Shickel led the Vikings with two RBIs, while Bergin and Quimby each added one. Coon scored twice and created havoc on the bases throughout the game.

GAME TWO

Augustana flipped the script in Game Two, erupting for 14 runs on 12 hits in a wire-to-wire win. After surrendering a run in the top of the first, the Vikings responded immediately in the bottom half. Hendren singled to get things started, and Kaileb Hackman followed with a base hit that, combined with an error, allowed Hendren to score and tie the game. Shickel then delivered an RBI single to bring home Hackman, and after the bases were loaded, Alec Schaublin worked a walk to force in another run, giving Augustana a 3–1 lead.

The Vikings broke the game open in the third inning with a five-run outburst. Shickel reached with a single and later came around to score on a Schaublin RBI groundout. Christian Clark followed with an RBI single, and Hendren added another run-scoring hit to keep things rolling. Coon then drove in a run with a single to center, and aggressive baserunning capped the inning as Coon stole home to extend the lead to 8–1.

After Illinois Wesleyan picked up two runs in the fifth, Augustana answered right back with four more in the bottom half. Schaublin got things started with a walk and came around to score on an RBI single from Hendren. Coon followed with an RBI double to left, driving in Clark, and a passed ball allowed Hendren to cross the plate. Bergin capped the inning with a sacrifice fly, bringing home Coon and pushing the lead to 12–3. The Vikings added two more in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Shickel was hit by a pitch and Macak worked a walk before Clark came through again, delivering a two-run single to left to make it 14–5.

Hendren and Coon led the offensive charge with three hits and two RBIs each, while Clark added three RBIs of his own. Shickel crossed the plate three times and drove in a run as part of a balanced offensive effort. On the mound, Chance Carruthers earned the win, going five innings and allowing three runs while working around traffic. Aidan Conners provided solid relief over the next three innings, and Sebastian Reyes closed things out to secure the split.

WIth the split, Augustana moved to 24-12, and 9-8 in the CCIW. The Vikings are back in action on Wednesday, April 29, when they host their final home game of the season against Monmouth. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.