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Augie continues clutch run through regional

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By Christopher Maloney | Saturday, May 17, 2008 |

For the second night in a row, Augustana gave its opponent a head start before breaking its heart in the ninth.

This time, it was second-seeded Wisconsin-Stevens Point that saw the game slip away late as the Vikings defeated the Pointers 4-3 on a two-out RBI single by center fielder Mark Blakeley.

Third-seeded Augustana (34-11) improved to 2-0 in the NCAA Division III regional and is the only unbeaten team heading into today’s games.

“We have been a late-innings team all year,” said Augie starting pitcher Matt Erickson, who struck out nine and allowed one run through eight innings. “We’ll take it, though, as long as we keep winning.”

The late-inning heroics were forced on Augustana as the Pointers scored two runs with two outs off Vikings closer Vince Frede in the top of the ninth inning to even the score at 3-3.

Augustana, which didn’t get on the board until the sixth inning, scored one run in each of the final four innings to seal the comeback from an early 1-0 deficit.

The Vikings took their first lead in the seventh when Blakeley beat out an infield hit, allowing Vikings left fielder Myles Kurnick to score.

Blakeley later came up with the big hit on a ball that dropped just out of left fielder Joel Hojnacki’s reach in the 9th.

“They hit Frede harder than I have seen any team hit him all season when they tied the game up at 3,” Blakeley said. “Our team speed came through big tonight.

“We knew coming in that the Pointers were a strong offensive team, so Erickson came through big in keeping them to just one run. I definitely give him props for his job tonight.”