The Aurora University baseball team opened the 2015 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament in Mequon, Wisconsin at Concordia University Wisconsin against the top-seeded Cougars of Concordia University Chicago. AU held a lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning but fell 5-4.

The Spartans scored four runs, all in the third inning, with the aid of two Cougars defensive miscues. A lead-off single by Mike Chervin was followed up with back to back fielding errors on bunts that loaded the bases for Danny Walczak and the top of the AU order. When Walczak reached on an adventurous fielder's choice, Chervin scored the games first run. The with two outs, Dillon Popovich singled to score Cale Sparks which Adam Lipscomb followed with a double to score Walczak and Popovich. Lipscomb was later thrown out at the plate on a bang-bang play that from some angles looked like the tag was not made.

AU starting pitcher Colin Hart kept the Cougars at bay, allowing single runs in the fifth and seventh before he gave way to freshman Jacob Stockman in the bottom of the ninth with AU leading 4-2.

Prior to the bottom of the ninth though, AU had scoring chances go for naught in the fourth and sixth innings. In both of those innings they left two runners stranded with sophomore Ryan Rybakowski being thrown out at the plate on separate plays in each of the innings also.

In the ninth, Stockman struck out the first batter he faced and after a single, got a ground out for the second out of the inning. From there, the game seemed to unravel for the Spartans. Up on the following batter 0-2, Stockman just missed on what would have been the game clinching final strike but the pitch was just off the outer edge for a ball. The very next pitch was weakly to left center for a double with a run scoring making the score 4-3. Stockman hit the next batter and another single through the middle tied the game and brought the NACC Player of the Year to the dish. The Cougar hitter delivered a two out single that scored the winning run and AU fell 5-4.

For the Spartans, they fell to 22-19 on the season and were led by a two for four day from Lipscomb, Jeff Gersch and Chervin.

Next action for the Spartan baseball team comes on Friday, May 8, 2015 in the 2015 NACC Tournament. AU will play at 10:00 a.m. in Mequon, Wisconsin against either Marian University or Benedictine University.