CRESTWOOD, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings baseball team stayed patient and delivered late, scoring in each of the final three innings to secure a 4–1 win over the Elmhurst Bluejays on Friday afternoon.

Locked in a scoreless battle through six innings, the Vikings broke through in the seventh. Ethan Sosnowski sparked the rally with a leadoff walk before moving into scoring position. Lawson Shickel then delivered in a big spot, ripping an RBI double to bring home Sosnowski and give Augustana its first lead of the game.

The Vikings kept the pressure on. After Shickel moved to third, Charlie Bergin lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Shickel to tag and score, pushing the lead to 2–1 and giving Augustana control for good. Augustana added insurance in the eighth. After working traffic on the bases, AJ Macak drove in a run to extend the lead to 3–1. The Vikings tacked on one more in the ninth. Bergin once again delivered, lifting his second sacrifice fly of the game to bring home the final run, making it 4–1.
On the mound, Blake Nettleton was dominant once more. The right-hander tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out 10 to earn the win. Jack Buckalew closed the door with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and recording the save.

At the plate, Augustana totaled just five hits but made the most of its opportunities, drawing seven walks. Braiden Elliott led the way with two hits, while Shickel drove in a run with his key extra-base hit. Bergin added two RBI on sacrifice flies as the Vikings battled back to earn the series opening victory.

With the win, the Vikings improve to 16–6 overall and 2–2 in CCIW play. Augustana return to action Saturday at Swanson Stadium, hosting Elmhurst in a twinbill beginning at noon.