The Aurora University baseball team returned to action for their first game in nearly a week, squaring off against Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in their first game of the 2024 Wheaton Invitational. The AU offense exploded for 18 runs en-route to their third-straight victory.


Game Score: #8 Aurora University 18, Saint Mary's University (Minn.) 4
Record: Aurora University 9-2 overall; Saint Mary's University 6-5 overall
Location: Lee Pfund Stadium - Carol Stream, Illinois


- With the bases loaded and two outs in the first, Logan Riley ripped a bases clearing double gave AU an early 3-0 lead.
- Nik Panico struck in the third with his second home run of the year, putting the Spartans in front 4-0 on the solo shot.
- Saint Mary's cut the AU lead to 4-1 in the third inning.
- AU answered back with one of their own in the top-of-the fourth on a Derek Angelo RBI single.
- Saint Mary's scored two runs in their half of the fourth to trail 5-3.
- Angelo picked up another RBI in the fifth on a ground out that scored Tyler Patton.
- Sean Rivera and Spencer Ruch came around to score on an error that made it 8-3 in favor of AU in the seventh inning.
- Dominick Curcio later made it 9-3 in the inning after scoring on an Angelo sac-fly.
- After Saint Mary's made it 9-4 in their half of the seventh, AU scored one in the eighth on a Rivera sac-fly that brought Patton home.
- The Spartans exploded for eight runs in the ninth, headlined by a couple of Panico and Riley RBI doubles.
- Alex Panico also got in on the scoring fun with a two-run double of his own in the ninth.
- AU would end up taking the contest 18-4.


HITTING
HITS: Nik Panico (3)
DOUBLE: Logan Riley (2), Alex Panico, Nik Panico, Tyler Patton and Sean Rivera (1)
HOME RUN: Nik Panico (1)
RUNS: Tyler Patton and Nico Bermeo (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Logan Riley (4) and Derek Angelo (3)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Jack Fisher (3.2), Sam Harvey (3.1), Owen Piazza (1.0) and Anthony Consiglio (1.0)
DECISIONS: Sam Harvey (win 1-0)
STRIKEOUTS: Jack Fisher and Sam Harvey (3)