The Aurora University Spartan baseball team wrapped up the opening weekend of the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference slate with a doubleheader sweep of Illinois Institute of Technology, winning game one 13-11 and game two 10-6.


Game One Score: #17 Aurora University 13, Illinois Institute of Technology 11
Game Two Score: #17 Aurora University 10, Illinois Institute of Technology 6
Record: Aurora University (14-2 overall and 4-0 NACC)
Location: Chicago, Illinois


GAME ONE
- The Spartans started the game strong with three runs and six baserunners reaching before an out was made in the inning.
- Nick Baldassano then doubled in two runs before a sac fly gave AU a 6-0 lead before the defense took to the diamond.
- In the third, IIT scored seven runs on seven singles to grab a 7-6 lead.
- The Spartans responded immediately though with three singles loading the bases with one out and a fourth single from Collin Meinert scored Jacob Ambuel and Justin Sartori for an 8-7 AU lead.
- Sean Rivera followed with a three-run homer and AU led 11-7.
- A two-run homer from Jett Wedekind in the fifth put the Spartans ahead 13-7.
- IIT scored twice in the eighth and again in the ninth. The winning run came to the plate in the ninth but Carlos Garcia closed the door for Nick Malmberg and the Spartans 13-11 win.


GAME ONE
HITTING
HITS: Josh Reinhardt (3)
HOME RUN: Jett Wedekind and Sean Rivera (1)
DOUBLE: Nick Baldassano (1)
RUNS: Jacob Ambuel (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jett Wedekind, Sean Rivera and Collin Meinert (3)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Nick Malmberg (5.0), Jacob Welbes (2.0) and Carlos Garcia (2.0)
DECISIONS: Nick Malmberg (win 3-0)
STRIKEOUTS: Nick Malmberg (3)


GAME TWO
- The Spartans loaded the bases in the first inning with one out but would not score.
- After two quick outs in the second, Dominick Curcio and Nico Bermeo reached and scored on a double from Jacob Ambuel. AU led 2-0.
- Ambuel then scored on a Sartori single for a 3-0 lead.
- IIT scored twice in the bottom of the second.
- The AU runs came back immediately in the top of the third with a two-run hom run off the bat of Collin Meinert.
- IIT scored once to again cut into the Spartan lead at 5-3.
- AU loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and back to back sac flys scored Jett Wedekind and Brenden Naylor.
- Curcio and Ambuel had run scoring singles after and AU now led 9-3.
- IIT scored one run each in the fifth, sixth and seventh. In the seventh, Sam Harvey came on and got out of the jam thanks to a bad base running blunder by IIT.
- Bermeo and Naylor singled in the eighth with Naylor driving in Bermeo for the 10th AU run of the game.
- AU would maintain the 10-6 lead and win by that four run margin.


GAME TWO
HITTING
HITS: Nico Bermeo (3)
HOME RUN: Collin Meinert (1)
DOUBLE: Justin Sartori and Jacob Ambuel (1)
RUNS: Nico Bermeo, Dominick Curcio, Brendan Naylor and Collin Meinert (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jacob Ambuel (3) and Collin Meinert (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Bryce Miller (6.1), Sam Harvey (0.2) and Brian Henehan (2.0)
DECISIONS: Bryce Miller (win 2-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Bryce Miller and Brian Henehan (3)