The Aurora University Spartan baseball team rose to the 11th ranked team in the D3baseball.com poll before taking on Benedictine University in a key Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans and Eagles battled to a split with AU dropping game one 15-14 before winning game two 6-3.


Game One Score: Benedictine University 15, #11 Aurora University 14
Game Two Score: #11 Aurora University 6, Benedictine University 3
Record: Aurora University (21-3 overall and 11-1 NACC)
Location: Jim Schmid Field at the Stuart Sports Complex - Montgomery, Illinois


GAME ONE
- AU fell behind 2-0 on two hits in the top of the second.
- The Spartans answered immediately, scoring six times in the bottom of the second with a three run home run from Jacob Ambuel capping off the scoring.
- BU scored once in the third and then took advantage of a couple AU miscues in the fourth to score six runs and lead 9-6.
- In the fifth, Justin Sartori led off with a double and scored on a Jett Wedekind single for a 9-7 score.
- Four runs by BU in the sixth pushed the deficit for AU to 13-7.
- Ambuel drove in another run in the sixth with a sac fly that scored Spencer Ruch for the eighth AU run.
- In the seventh the Spartans put up another crooked number as Josh Reinhardt led off with a home run.
- Dominick Curcio had a run scoring double and was followed by rbi singles from Ambuel, Sartori and Wedekind which tied the game 13-13.
- BU scored one run each in the eighth and ninth to lead 15-13.
- In the bottom of the ninth, a lead-off walk for Curcio was followed by doubles from Nico Bermeo and Ambuel with Curcio scoring to make the score 15-14.
- BU then intentionally walked Sartori to load the bases with no outs. But the next three Spartans were set down and AU fell 15-14.
- AU's 14 game win streak was snapped with the one run loss.


GAME ONE
HITTING
HITS: Jacob Ambuel and Justin Sartori (3)
HOME RUN: Jacob Ambuel (1)
DOUBLE: Jacob Ambuel, Justin Sartori, Nico Bermeo and Dominick Curcio (1)
RUNS: Dominick Curcio (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jacob Ambuel (6)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Nick Malmberg (5.1), CJ Cazares (1.2) and Carlos Garcia (2.0)
DECISIONS: CJ Cazares (loss 2-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Nick Malmberg (6)


GAME TWO
- The Spartans grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game two with Dominick Curcio scoring on a Jacob Ambuel double. 
- BU tied the game and threatened a huge inning in the fourth with two walks and two singles and no outs.
- AU starter Bryce Miller got a strikeout and double-play to get out of the jam with the score tied 1-1.
- In the fifth, BU scored once to grab a 2-1 lead.
- AU again used a crooked number inning to grab the lead in the seventh.
- Derek Angelo led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch runner Sean Rivera who advanced two bases on two wild pitches.
- After a walk to Spencer Ruch, Curcio singled to center to score Rivera and tie the game 2-2 while Ruch moved to third.
- Ruch scored the go ahead run on a ground out from Nico Bermeo and after a walk to Ambuel and laser single by Sartori loaded the bases, Jett Wedekind was plunked for the rbi and 4-2 AU lead.
- One out later, Brenden Naylor came up big with a two-run single and AU led 6-2.
- Sam Harvey was in line for the win in relief of Miller and allowed one meaningless run in the ninth as AU was victorious in the night cap 6-3.


GAME TWO
HITTING
HITS: Brenden Naylor (2)
DOUBLE: Jaccob Ambuel (1)
RUNS: Six Spartans (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Brenden Naylor (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Bryce Miller (6.2) and Sam Harvey (2.1)
DECISIONS: Sam Harvey (win 1-0)
STRIKEOUTS: Bryce Miller (7) and Sam Harvey (4)