The Aurora University baseball team hosted Elmhurst College on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup at Solfisburg Park. The Spartans defeated the Bluejays 10-3 to snap a six-game skid.
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On the mound for the Spartans was sophomore Aron Okamoto who went scoreless the first three innings and allowing AU to gain a 2-0 lead in the third. The Spartans first runs came in the bottom of the third. Senior Tanner Oymaian started off AU with a single down the right field line and Dillion Popovich drove Oymaian home on a double to deep right center. Popovich later scored on a run scoring ground out.
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The Spartans would give a run back in the top of the fourth inning but at the end of four innings the Spartans led 2-1. Senior Henry Erickson relived Okamoto who struck out one, had one earned run and walked one through four innings.
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Popovich would keep his hot hitting on the day, slugging a two-run home run out to left field in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-1. AU grabbed another run from the Bluejays on a wild pitch which scored Mike Cherven in the sixth inning.
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The Spartans kept the bats going in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three unearned runs following singles from Oymaian, Popovich and Adam Lipscomb. All would score thanks to a throwing error by Elmhurst.
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The Bluejays scored two runs in the top of the eighth but was not enough to catch the Spartans as AU defeated the Bluejays 10-3. Popovich finished the day three for three with a home run and a double, while Oymaian went two for three with one run batted in and Danny Walczak went two for three with a double and one run batted in.
Erickson earned the win striking out three and walking one in two scoreless innings.
With the win, AU is now 16-13 overall. Next action for the Spartan baseball team comes on Saturday, April 18, 2015 when they host Wisconsin Lutheran College on AU Alumni Day. Game one is set for 12:00 p.m. at Solfisburg Park in Aurora, Illinois. Between games one and two the members of the 1990 World Series second-place finisher will be recognized for the 25th anniversary..Â