Box Score The Aurora University baseball team lost a 10-inning extra inning contest at MacMurray College on Friday afternoon 15-14.

AU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning with sophomore Jake Monson capping off the inning with a two-run home run.

The host Highlanders got on run back off Spartan starting pitcher Jared Steck in the bottom of the first inning but Steck held MacMurray to the lone run.

In the top of the second inning AU scored twice more with juniorsTanner Oymaian and Corey Landers scoring.

The high scoring affair continued in the bottom of the second with MacMurray scoring five times to tie the game 6-6. In the inning the Highlanders hit two home runs, a three-run homer that was followed immediately with a solo shot.

AU was held scoreless in the third but MacMurray continued the offensive barrage with four more runs for a 10-6 lead. Five hits in the inning forcing Steck from the game and bringing on junior relief pitcher Mitch Luebbe.

The Spartan bats awoke in the fourth inning with Dylon Popovich hitting a solo-home run.

After Luebbe held MacMurray scoreless for the first time in the bottom of the fourth, AU got back to work on offense in the fifth. A lead off walk to Granada was followed by a double by Nick Turner and a three run home run from Oymaian. The three-run blast tied the game 10-10.

MacMurray regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring one time for an 11-10 lead through five innings. The sixth inning saw both teams go three up and three down, the first time on the day.

AU responded in the seventh inning to score four times with one out, Turner walked and then scored on an Oymaian triple. The triple brought Oymaian only a double from a cycle on the day. Landers reached on an error to score Oymaian for a 12-11 lead. With two outs, Popovich singled and then he and Landers came around to score on a double from senior Jared Swain.

But as they had done all game, MacMurray answered right back, scoring three times in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 14-14.

The Spartans left two runners on in the eighth and then called upon junior Cody Love to get out of a bases loaded jam with only one out in the bottom of the inning. Love induced a inning ending fly-out after striking out the first Highlander he faced.

Each team had one base runner reach in the ninth but neither could puch across the go-ahead run to send the thriller into extra innings.

AU went down in order in the 10th, setting up the bottom of the inning for the home Highlanders. After a lead-off double, Love struck out the next batter he faced. A single gave MacMurray runners on first and third and when MacMurray's A. Cory singled, the Highlanders had the 15-14 win over the Spartans.

The Spartans are now 2-9 overall and return to action on Saturday, March 15, 2014 when they take on MacMurray College in a doubleheader. Game one is set for noon in Jacksonville, Ill. at Lenz Field.