The Aurora University baseball team survived and advanced in the 2022 NCAA Division III Regional Tournament, falling in the winner's bracket to Wisconsin-Whitewater 8-4 in the first game of the day before the Spartans thumped the Vikings of Augustana College in an elimination game, winning 10-1 with the AU pitching staff tossing a one-hitter. The Spartans will play for a regional championship on Sunday, May 22 starting at 11:00 a.m.


Game One Score: University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 8, Aurora University 4
Game Two Score: Aurora University 10, Augustana College 1
Record: Aurora University 35-10 overall ; Augustana College 34-12 overall ; University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 35-8 overall
Location: Whitewater, Wisconsin


Game One vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater
- The Spartans and Warhawks both had base runners in the first but the pitchers worked out of potential jams.
- Whitewater struck first with a solo home run in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead.
- AU answered back and took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Jacob Ambuel doubled and later scored on a Sean Rivera single. Dominick Curcio hit a sac fly to score Collin Meinert and the Spartans led 2-1.
- Spartan starter Nick Malmberg kept Whitewater off balance until the fifth when a two-run home run put the hosts in front 3-2.
- In the sixth, Whitewater got to Malmberg with a walk, home run, single and double scoring three runs and Sam Harvey coming on in relief. Harvey allowed a run scoring double and AU trailed 7-2.
- Whitewater added a run in the bottom of the eighth.
- The Spartans did not go down quietly though, scoring twice in the ninth with Corey Vondra scoring Sean Rivera on a double and Vondra scoring on a Nico Bermeo single with two outs.
- When the final out was made, AU fell to the elimination bracket with an 8-4 loss.


Game One vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater
HITTING
HITS: Corey Vondra (2)
DOUBLE: Jacob Ambuel and Corey Vondra (1) 
RUNS: Jacob Ambuel, Corey Vondra, Collin Meinert and Sean Rivera (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Sean Rivera, Dominick Curcio, Corey Vondra and Nico Bermeo (1)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Nick Malmberg (5.1), Sam Harvey (1.2) and Tyler Preissing (1.0)
DECISIONS: Nick Malmberg (loss, 7-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Nick Malmberg (2)


Game Two vs. Augustana
- The Spartans wasted no time in the second regional contest with Augustana. AU scored four times in the top of the first with five of the first six Spartans in the lineup reaching base and scoring. 
- Corey Vondra and Nico Bermeo singled before Justin Sartori walked to load the bases. With one out, Dylan White singled in Vondra before Jacob Ambuel doubled in Bermeo and Sartori for a 3-0 lead. Collin Meinert grounded out but scored White for the 4-0 Spartan lead.
- AU starting pitcher Anthony Touhy battled with free passes in his start but limited Augustana to one run and one hit over his 3-1/3 innings of work.
- The Spartan bats gave him plenty to work with though, scoring twice more in the top of the second. 
- Vondra singled again to start the inning and scored on a Sartori single. Bermeo then scored on a wild pitch for the 6-0 AU advantage.
- Carlos Garcia relieved Touhy and he would earn the win with 5-2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He struck out seven and walked two for the regional win.
- AU manufactured an insurance run in the sixth with Jett Wedekind walking with one out, stole second, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a Meinert single for the 7-1 AU lead.
- In the eighth, the Spartans put the game to bed, adding three more runs on just one hit. 
- Garcia locked down the final two innings of his workman like effort on the night for the 10-1 win.


Game Two vs. Augustana
HITTING
HITS: Corey Vondra (3)
DOUBLE: Jacob Ambuel and Dylan White (1) 
RUNS: Corey Vondra and Nico Bermeo (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jacob Ambuel and Collin Meinert (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Anthony Touhy (3.1) and Carlos Garcia (5.2)
DECISIONS: Carlos Garcia (win, 1-0)
STRIKEOUTS: Carlos Garcia (7)

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