The Aurora University baseball team took to a Major League ballpark on Thursday night as AU played at Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox against Illinois Institute of Technology. AU fell in an exciting non-conference game, 5-3.

GAME INFORMATION – Thursday, April 26
 Boxscore
Game Score: Illinois Institute of Technology 5, Aurora University 3
Records: Aurora University (20-10),  Illinois Institute of Technology (12-16)
Location: Chicago, Illinois - Guaranteed Rate Field

SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS
- A lead-off double in the second from Bryce DeSpain turned into a run when Cale Sparks drove in DeSpain on a ground out.
- IIT scored once in the second and twice in the third to lead AU 3-1.
- A two-out single from Jeff Mayes in the fifth turned into a run when he scored on a wild pitch following a Davis Purviance single which moved him to third.
- Trailing 5-2 going to the ninth, the Spartans battled on. A one-out double from Colin Rivard got the inning going. Mayes doubled with two outs to score Rivard and a walk and infield single from Cole Davis loaded the bases. On a 1-0 count, Bryce DeSpain put a charge into the pitch, sending the IIT center fielder on the the warning track but the large outfield of Guaranteed Rate was just to big as the final out was made.
- AU fell 5-3.

SPARTAN LEADERS:
HITTING
HITS: Jeff Mayes, Bryce DeSpain and Davis Purviance (2)
DOUBLE: Jeff Mayes, Bryce DeSpain and Colin Rivard (1)
RUNS: Jeff Mayes, Bryce DeSpain and Colin Rivard (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jeff Mayes and Cale Sparks (1)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Brady Kauppila (3.1), Caleb Poffenberger (3.0), John Barnes (1.1) and Skyler Yamamoto (0.1)
DECISION: Caleb Poffenberger (loss, 0-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Caleb Poffenberger and Brady Kauppila (2)
 
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