The Aurora University Spartans traveled to the north side of Chicago on Friday afternoon and took on a pair of non-conference opponents at North Park University. AU defeated North Park 6-1 in game one and then had a ninth inning rally come up just short as they lost to Cornell College 5-4.

GAME ONE INFORMATION – Friday, March 25, 2016
Score: Aurora University 6; North Park University 1
Records: Aurora University (8-7) vs. North Park University (4-10)
Location: Chicago, Illinois. – Holmgren Athletic Complex
Weather: 40 degrees, clear skies.
Game time: 2:30
 
SPARTAN STARTING LINE UP:
1. #4 Jeffrey Mayes  - SS
2. #31 Nicholas Mathey  - LF
3. #6 Nick Turner  - RF
4. #11 Adam Lipscomb - 2B
5. #30 Dillon Popovich - 1B
6. #16 Harry Vickers - DH
7. #7 Cale Sparks - 3B
8. #9 Jeff LaPage - C
9. #2 Ryan Rybakowski  - CF
10. #13 Kyle Manske - pitcher
 
SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS
- AU scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take control of the game.
- Dillon Popovich hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to round out the AU scoring.
- Adam Lipscomb was three for four with a double and one run scored.
- Ryan Rybakowski was two for four with a double, one run scored and one run batted in.
- Nick Turner was one for three with a double and two runs batted in.
- Aron Okamoto earned the win with three and one-third innings of relief pitching. He allowed one hit, struck out two and walked one.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- In the Spartans five run fourth inning, Adam Lipscomb led off with a double down the left field line. Following a one out walk to Harry Vickers, Cale Sparks singled to score Lipscomb.
- With two outs in the fourth, Ryan Rybakowski doubled to score Vickers and move Sparks to third. Jeffrey Mayes and Nicholas Mathey then drew back to back walks with Mathey's walk scoring Sparks.
- Nick Turner followed with a double that scored Rybakowski and Mayes and AU led 5-0.
- North Park scored once in the bottom of the inning and chased starting pitcher Kyle Manske from the game. Reliever Aron Okamoto got out of the second and third jam.
- In the fifth, Popovich led off with a home run to left center field, capping the games scoring.
- Okamoto and Jeff Wood combined over the next five innings to completely shut down North Park for the 6-1 AU victory.

SPARTAN LEADERS:
HITS: Adam Lipscomb (3)
RUNS: Jeffrey Mayes, Adam Lipscomb, Dillon Popovich, Harry Vickers, Cale Sparks and Ryan Rybakowski (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Nick Turner (2)
HOME RUN: Dillon Popovich (1)
DOUBLES: Adam Lipscomb, Nick Turner and Ryan Rybakowski (1)
 
GAME TWO INFORMATION – Friday, March 25, 2016
Score: Cornell College 5, Aurora University 4
Records: Aurora University (8-8) vs. Cornell College (4-6)
Location: Chicago, Illinois. – Holmgren Athletic Complex
Weather: 40 degrees, clear skies.
Game time: 2:15
 
SPARTAN STARTING LINE UP:
1. #4 Jeffrey Mayes  - SS
2. #31 Nicholas Mathey  - LF
3. #6 Nick Turner  - RF
4. #11 Adam Lipscomb - 2B
5. #30 Dillon Popovich - 1B
6. #7 Cale Sparks - 3B
7. #8 Mike Cherven - DH
8  #9 Jeff LaPage - C
9. #2 Ryan Rybakowski  - CF
10. #5 Elias McMahon - pitcher
 
SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS
- AU scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but left the bases loaded when the final out was made.
- Jeffrey Mayes was one for four with a double.
- Adam Lipscomb was one for four with one run scored and one run batted in.
- Dillon Popovich was one for four.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- AU fell behind 2-0 in the fourth when Cornell took advantage of a one out walk and strung together two hits to push across two runs.
- Cornell added two more runs in the sixth with the aid of back to back walks to start the inning.
- The Spartans got their first hit in the bottom of the sixth. After Ryan Rybakowski reached on an error, Jeffrey Mayes doubled. Rybakowski scored one hitter later on a ground out by Nicholas Mayes.
- Cornell added an insurance run in the top of the ninth off reliever Michael Stellmack.
- Heading into the bottom of the ninth, AU trailed 5-1 and to that point had managed just one hit.
- With two outs, Nick Turner drew a walk and scored on a single from Adam Lipscomb. After a single from Dillon Popovich, Cale Sparks walked to load the bases and Mike Chervin walked to score Lipscomb. Spartan pinch hitter Anthony Beale reached on an error which scored Cody Gregory (running for Popovich) and AU trailed 5-4 and still had the bases loaded but the final out was made when Rybakowski struck out swinging.

SPARTAN LEADERS:
HITS: Adam Lipscomb, Jeffrey Mayes and Dillon Popovich (1)
RUNS: Nick Turner, Adam Lipscomb, Cody Gregory and Ryan Rybakowski (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jeffrey Mayes, Mike Cherven and Adam Lipscomb (1)
DOUBLE: Jeffrey Mayes (1)
STOLEN BASE: Ryan Rybakowski (1)

UP NEXT
Next action for the Spartan baseball team comes on Saturday, March 26 when they travel to North Park University. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in Chicago, Illinois.