NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Augustana baseball (33-10) captured the 2022 CCIW Tournament crown this afternoon after a marathon matchup with North Central (33-12). The Vikings overcame an early 6-1 deficit to upset the top-seeded and nationally ranked Cardinals.

North Central got on the board first in the second inning when Michael Davis doubled to bring Trey Roach home. Paul Beverly then scored on a wild pitch before Davis scored on a Jack Oberli single. Augie then got one back in the top of the third inning when Jacob Barker drove Cole Green in on a groundout.

The Cardinals extended their lead in the fourth frame when Dom Listi tripled to score Oberli and Joe Hamilton. Later in the inning, Luke Lehnen drove Listi in on a sacrifice fly.

Augie started their rally the next half inning when Kyle Wise singled Brett Benedetti home in the fifth. Trailing 6-2, the Vikings then exploded for five runs in the sixth stanza to take their first lead of the ballgame. Matt Ozanic started the comeback with an RBI single to plate Barker. Chase Maifield then doubled down the right field line to bring two more across. Kyle Campbell then knotted the score at six on a wild pitch. Wise then ended the sixth inning flurry with another RBI single to take a 7-6 advantage.

The two teams traded runs between the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh innings as Jared Wojcik blasted a home run to left center to tie the score and Campbell homered for the Vikings to regain the lead.

Augie plated another in the ninth on an Ozanic single to center. North Central rallied in the bottom of the ninth to erase a two-run deficit and tie the contest again. Lehnen singled Oberli in to get within a run before Justin Rios drove in John Michael Scumaci to even the tally.

After four scoreless innings to start the extra frames, Augustana's Cole Green came through with a solo shot home run to take a 10-9 lead. In the home half of the 14th, Rios singled and Roach reached on a fielder's choice, but the Cardinals could not scratch one across and the Vikings completed their 10-9 comeback victory.

Five Augustana players recorded multiple hits in the championship game led by Jacob Barker and Kyle Wise with four. Barker, Kyle Campbell, and Cole Green each scored twice to lead Augie in that category. Josh Wintroub was one of seven pitchers to come on in relief of starter Sam Cregan. Wintroub earned the win with an inning pitched and a strikeout.

The Vikings' win was their 33rd of the season and clinched a berth in the national tournament starting on May 20.