Augustana head coach Greg Wallace picked up his 500th win at his alma mater with a 3-1 Viking victory over Widener. Augustana athletics photo

FT. MYERS, Fla. – Greg Wallace reached a significant milestone on Saturday, February 28 in Ft. Myers, Florida when his Augustana baseball team defeated Widener by a score of 3-1 at Pigott Park. The win was the 500th of Wallace's career as the head coach of his alma mater.
 
Wallace, who took over as the head coach of the Vikings in time for the 1998 season, has compiled a record of 500-232 (.683). Counting a four year stint as the head coach at Frostburg State (Md.) University from 1992-95, Wallace has an overall collegiate record of 578-281-1 (.673).
 
It was a sterling pitching performance from senior All-American Seth Davis that helped pave the way for win number 500. Davis went the distance for the second time on the spring break trip, scattering seven hits while striking out nine and walking three.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, WIDENER 1
 
Davis was superb for the second straight game in Florida and he was instrumental in helping his head coach Greg Wallace pick up his 500th coaching victory at Augustana. The southpaw struck out nine Pioneers and gave up seven hits and three walks while moving his record to 2-0. He struck out the first three batters he faced and through the first 4 2/3 innings he faced the minimum of 14 batters.  
 
After striking out the side in the first, Davis allowed a two-out infield single in the second to Widener's Josh Everett but he promptly picked Everett off first to get out of the inning. He allowed a bunt single in the third with one out but a double play erased that threat. Davis had a one-two-three fourth and got the first two batters in the fifth before Everett once again scratched out an infield single. Davis struck out Kyle Lower to retire the side and through five innings he had faced just one batter over the minimum.
 
Nursing a 2-0 lead in the top of the eighth, Davis ran into some trouble when Widener's Greg McDonough led off with a single to right and went to second on a balk. A fly out to center pushed McDonough to third and a single by Michael Elfreth scored McDonough to make it 2-1 with only one out. Davis picked out Elfreth at first and struck out Bob Barnett to wiggle out of that jam.
 
In the ninth Davis gave up a two-out single to Matthew Guarino but pinch runner Joseph Aavensky was picked off first to end the game.
 
The Vikings didn't give Davis a whole lot of offensive support against Pioneer starter Robert Barth but they did manage single runs in the first, second and eighth to secure the victory.
 
In the bottom of the first inning junior center field Nathan Gray was hit by a pitch with one out. He stole second and moved to third on a fly ball out to right field. Gray scored on a single to left by junior second baseman Trace Gingerich.
 
The Vikings picked up what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the second. Senior designated hitter Jacques Camalick opened the inning by reaching second base on an error. He went to third on a single by junior shortstop Alex Fluehr and came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of right fielder Jeff Prior.
 
After Widener scored in the eighth to make it 2-1, Augustana answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Junior catcher John Swiderski doubled to lead things off and went to third on an error. He came home on Camalick's ground out to second base.
 
Swiderski and Fluehr both had two hits to lead the Viking offense.
 
OTTERBEIN 8, AUGUSTANA 7
 
The Vikings mounted a furious comeback after falling behind 7-0 but fell 8-7 in 10 innings to Otterbein in the second game of the day on Saturday, February 28. The Otters scored two runs in the first, four in the second and one in the third before Augustana put a single run on the board in the bottom of the fifth.
 
With one out senior third baseman Kyle Lenihan singled and senior designated hitter Jacques Camalick singled him to third. An infield ground out off the bat of freshman first baseman Tommy Kiriakopoulos (Huntley HS, Lake-in-the-Hills, Ill.) gave the Vikings their first run of the game.
 
Augustana scored five in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, bases loaded triple by junior center fielder Nathan Gray proving to be the big blow in the frame.
 
Trailing 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Vikings tied the game with an unearned run. Freshman Jack Hallmark, pinch running for pinch-hitter John Swiderski, came home on an error on a ball hit by Gray. Swiderski had walked and Hallmark went to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Alex Fluehr that was misplayed. Gray's infield grounder was mishandled and Hallmark came in from second base.
 
Otterbein got the winning run in the top of the 10th when Jordan Ashbrook scored on a passed ball. The Vikings put two runners on in the bottom of the 10th but were unable to score.
 
Augustana had eight hits in the game and senior left fielder Danny Fifer had two.
 
Junior Darwin Townsend pitched the final three innings without giving up a hit but was tagged with the loss.