The Aurora University baseball team began their road trip at the RussMatt Central Invitational in Auburndale, Florida on Saturday afternoon against the Cardinals of St. John Fisher University. The Spartan offense exploded for a five-run fifth inning en route to a 10-7 victory.


Game Score: Aurora University 10, St. John University 7
Record: Aurora University 3-0 overall; St. John Fisher University 0-1 overall
Location: Auburndale, Florida


- The Cardinals hit a solo homer in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead.
- AU responded back in the second after Derek Angelo led off the inning with a double, before Logan Riley drove him in with a two bagger of his own.
- Angelo followed his second inning double with an RBI single in the third that scored Sean Rivera, giving the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
- St. John Fisher scored one run in the fourth to knot the score at 2.
- Rivera gave AU the lead back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single that brought Joe Lukancic home.
- The Cardinals took a 4-3 lead after a two-run fifth inning.
- Lukancic started a the five-run fifth for AU after a two-run single that allowed the Spartans to regain a 5-4 lead
- Nik Panico trouted home on the next batter after a Riley sac fly.
- Following an Aidan Williams walk that put runners on the corners with two outs, Rivera clubbed a two-run triple that extended the AU lead to 8-4.
- The score became 8-7 after the Cardinals scored three runs in the top of the sixth.
- AU answered back in the bottom half of the inning with Angelo driving in Nico Bermeo on an RBI single.
- The very next batter, Lukancic added another insurance run for the Spartans with a single that scored Angelo for a 10-7 lead.
- Sam Harvey shut down the Cardinal offense tossing two scoreless seventh and eighth innings out of the bullpen.
- With the score still 10-7 in favor of AU heading into the ninth, Jack Fisher took over on the mound for AU and shut the door for the 10-7 victory.


HITTING
HITS: Derek Angelo, Joe Lukancic and Sean Rivera (3)
DOUBLE: Nico Bermeo, Derek Angelo and Logan Riley (1)
TRIPLE: Sean Rivera (1)
RUNS: Derek Angelo (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Sean Rivera (3)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Justin Zimmerman (5.0), Sam Harvey (2.2), Jack Fisher (1.0) and Owen Piazza (0.1) 
DECISIONS: Justin Zimmerman (win 2-0) and Jack Fisher (save, 1)
STRIKEOUTS: Justin Zimmerman and Sam Harvey (4)