The Aurora University baseball team secured the programs 25th regular season conference championship with a sweep of the Regents of Rockford University on Mother's Day. AU won the opener 4-1 and celebrated after a 12-5 game two victory.


Game One Score: Aurora University 4, Rockford University 1
Game Two Score: Aurora University 12, Rockford University 5
Record: Aurora University 32-7 overall and 21-3 in the NACC,
Location: Love Park, Illinois - Rivets Stadium


GAME ONE
- After a scoreless first inning, Jett Wedekind put the Spartans front 1-0 when he absolutely destroyed the pitch from Rockford's starting pitcher well over the left field wall.
- In the fourth, Wedekind struck again after Justin Sartori reached on a wild pitch on a third strike. Wedekind doubled on another rocket off his bat. The Regent left fielder launched the relay throw into the dugout, allowing Sartori and Wedekind to score. AU led 3-0.
- As AU starter Anthony Touhy and reliever Carlos Garcia kept Rockford scoreless, the Spartans added on in the seventh. Jacob Ambuel led off with a double, moved to third on a single from Collin Meinert. Ambuel would score on a sac fly from Sean Rivera.
- Rockford broke up the AU shutout in the eighth with three consecutive singles to score one run.
- Skyler Yamamoto came in for the save in the ninth, giving Touhy his fourth win of the season.
- The 4-1 win clinched at least a share of the NACC title for the Spartans but they wanted more in game two.


HITTING
HITS: Jett Wedekind, Jacob Ambuel and Collin Meinert (2)
HOME RUN: Jett Wedekind (1)
DOUBLE: Jacob Ambuel (2) and Jett Wedekind (1)
RUNS: Jett Wedekind (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jett Wedekind (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Anthony Touhy (5.0), Carlos Garcia (1.0), Sam Harvey (2.0) and Skyler Yamamoto (1.0)
DECISIONS: Anthony Touhy (win, 4-0) and Skyler Yamamoto (save, 3)
STRIKEOUTS: Anthony Touhy (3)


GAME TWO
- AU jumped out early with two runs in the first inning of game two. Nico Bermeo walked with Justin Sartori following with an infield single. The pair would score when Dylan White reached on an error.
- Four hits and two walks allowed Rockford to score three times and lead 3-2 after one.
- The Spartans responded with one out in the second with a walk to Brendan Naylor. The walk was followed by doubles from Sean Rivera, Corey Vondra (two runs batted in) and Justin Sartori (one run batted in) and AU led Rockford 5-3.
- A lead off walk from White in the third led to him scoring when Collin Meinert reached on an error and the Spartans led 6-3.
- Rockford added one run off starter Bryce Miller in the fifth. Miller would go five innings, allowing four runs while striking out eight.
- Corey Vondra pushed the AU lead back to three in the sixth with a lead off single and moved around the bases thanks to the pitchers wild ways.
- The long ball returned for the Spartans in the eighth. Vondra walked and Bermeo singled wth Sartori hitting a three-run blast to left center and AU led 10-4.
- With one out in the inning, White walked and Jacob Ambuel got in on the trotting around the base fun. His long ball to left scored two and AU no led 12-4.
- Rockford scored one run in the ninth thanks to a pair of free passes but Jacob Welbes struck out the final two hitters he faced to seal the 12-5 win and the 2022 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championship!
 

HITTING
HITS: Justin Sartori (3)
HOME RUN: Jacob Ambuel and Justin Sartori (1)
DOUBLE: Justin Sartori, Corey Vondra, Dylan White and Sean Rivera (1)
RUNS: Corey Vondra (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Justin Sartori (4)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Bryce Miller (5.0), Tyler Preissing (3.0) and Jacob Welbes (1.0)
DECISIONS: Bryce Miller (win, 6-1) 
STRIKEOUTS: Bryce Miller (8)

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