MOLINE, Ill. – Augustana Head Coach Greg Wallace notched the 700th head coaching win of his career Tuesday as the Vikings swept a doubleheader from Illinois Wesleyan at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field.
Augustana won the opener 6-5 and claimed the nightcap 4-3 in 12 innings to improve to 15-5-1 on the year and 5-1 in the CCIW. The Titans dropped to 9-11 overall and 2-4 in the league. The Vikings host Knox at Swanson/Brunner in a single non-conference game on Thursday, April 4 at 6:00 p.m.
AUGUSTANA 6, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 5
Mitchell Owens' (Moline HS, Moline., Ill.) RBI single to center in the bottom of the seventh provided the margin of victory as Augustana rallied from a 5-1 deficit to pull out game one by a score of 6-5.
The Vikings' comeback started with two runs in the sixth. Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) led off with a single to center and Ryan Grannemann (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) drew a walk. Owens plated Huber with another single to center and Grannemann scored on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) to pull Augustana to within 5-3.
After Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) set IWU down in the top of the seventh, his teammates completed their comeback in the bottom half. Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) was hit by a pitch leading off and Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) followed with a walk. Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice and Huber tied the contest with a two-run single to right. He moved to second on a Grannemann hit and scored the go-ahead run when Owens singled to center.
Chamberlain surrendered a pair of hits in the top of the eighth, but John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) came out of the pen to leave runners stranded at first and third. Hayes pitched around a pair of two-out singles in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.
Chamberlain (2-0), who relieved starter Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.), went 2 1/3 innings and got the win. Hunter Simon (1-2) took the loss for IWU.
Owens finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and Huber went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two knocked in.
AUGUSTANA 4, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 3 (12)
Grannemann ended the nightcap with a one-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th.
Mosele led off the 12th with a single to right and moved to second when Kairis did the same. Nunez dropped down another successful sacrifice and Braden Miller walked Huber intentionally to load the bases. Granneman made the most of the opportunity, singling to right to plate Mosele with the winning run.
The Vikings took a 3-0 lead with two in the second and one in the fifth. Gunnar Haskins (Alleman HS, Moline, Ill.) had an RBI single in the second and another run scored on a double play grounder. Huber's fielder's choice grounder plated Mosele in the fifth.
Augustana starter Max Mead (Lakewood HS, Lakewood, Colo.) blanked the Titans on two hits through six innings, but Evan Ranneklev led off the seventh with a homer to right. Garrett Shea followed with a single, knocking out Mead in favor of Vince O'Meara (Alleman HS, Moline, Ill.). Doubles by Dalton Fletcher and Dom DiLello plated two more runs to tie the game 3-3.
Pitchers Evan Hill and Miller for IWU and Matt Hoban (Monarch HS, Westminster, Colo.) and Hayes for Augustana took over from there, putting up goose eggs until Grannemann's hit in the 12th.
Hayes (4-1) went the final four innings to pick up the win, giving up two hits and a walk while fanning three. Miller (0-1), who had thrown five scoreless frames going into the 12th, was the tough-luck loser.
Kairis had two hits and Mosele scored twice.