The Aurora University Spartan baseball team opened the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference slate against St. Norbert College on Sunday afternoon. AU swept the Green Knights winning 13-7 and 21-8 (7 innings).


Game One Score: #17 Aurora University 13, St. Norbert College 7
Game Two Score: #17 Aurora University 21, St. Norbert College 8 - 7 innings
Record: Aurora University (12-2 overall and 2-0 NACC)
Location: Montgomery, Illinois - Jim Schmid Field


GAME ONE
- SNC opened up the game hitting line drives all over the diamond but AU starter Justin Zimmerman limited the damage to two runs in the first.
- The Spartans answered in the bottom of the first with two outs, Justin Sartori singled and Jett Wedekind followed with a walk. Josh Reinhardt then doubled off the left field wall and the game was tied 2-2. Reinhardt would score on a SNC error and AU led 3-2 after one inning.
- The error haunted SNC again in the second with Dominick Curcio reaching on one and then scored on a double from Nico Bermeo for a 4-2 AU lead.
- The visitors scored an unearned run in the top of the third but AU still led 4-3.
- Two out bingo was on tap for the Spartans in the fourth with Curcio and Bermeo singling ahead of a three run blast from Jacob Ambuel and AU led 7-3.
- In the fifth, the Spartans added another run with a lead-off double from Wedekind. He would score on a failed pick-off at first that was thrown away for an 8-3 AU lead.
- SNC cut the AU lead down to two in the seventh with a three runs frame.
- Five Spartan singles in the bottom of the seventh led to three runs and an 11-6 AU lead.
- Ambuel and Wedekind each hit solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 13-6 AU advantage.
- A solo home run for SNC in the ninth ended the games scoring.
- AU was victorious 13-7.


GAME ONE
HITTING
HITS: Jacob Ambuel, Nico Bermeo, Justin Sartori, Jett Wedekind, Josh Reinhardt and Dominick Curcio (2)
HOME RUN: Jacob Ambuel (2) and Jett Wedekind (1)
DOUBLE: Jett Wedekind, Josh Reinhardt, Nico Bermeo and Collin Meinert (1)
RUNS: Jett Wedekind (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jacob Ambuel (4)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Justin Zimmerman (5.0), Tyler Preissing (1.1) and CJ Cazares (2.2)
DECISIONS: Justin Zimmerman (win 4-0)
STRIKEOUTS: Justin Zimmerman (5) and CJ Cazares (4)


GAME TWO
- The Spartans scored six runs in the second to blow the game wide open. A two-run double by Justin Sartori was the big blow of the inning as AU was aided by three SNC errors in the frame.
- SNC scored three times in the third to cut the AU lead in half at 6-3.
- Collin Meinert led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run and a 7-3 AU lead.
- Another SNC error and a ht by pitch led to Meinert driving in Ambuel and Wedekind to increase the lead to 9-3 in the fourth.
- The Spartans pushed across three more runs in the fifth with Ambuel hammering a two-run home run.
- Both teams added a run each in the sixth with AU leading 13-4 going to the seventh.
- SNC scored four runs in the seventh thanks in part to three base on balls.
- The AU offense was having no part of playing a full game though, scoring eight times in the seventh to enact the 10-run mercy rule.
- Spencer Ruch had a two-run single and Nico Bermeo a two-run double to put AU ahead 17-8.
- Ambuel was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out ahead of Justin Sartori.
- Sartori hit a laser off the scoreboard in left for a grand slam and ended the game 21-8.
- Spartan pitcher Jack Fisher tossed six innings for the win.


GAME TWO
HITTING
HITS: Justin Sartori and Collin Meinert (3)
HOME RUN: Jacob Ambuel, Collin Meinert and Justin Sartori (1)
TRIPLE: Sean Rivera (1)
DOUBLE: Justin Sartori and Nico Bermeo (1)
RUNS: Jacob Ambuel, Nico Bermeo and Collin Meinert (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Justin Sartori (6)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Jack Fisher (6.0), Nik Panico (0.2) and Jacob Welbes (0.1)
DECISIONS: Jack Fisher (win 2-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Jack Fisher (7)