The Aurora University baseball team split a doubleheader with Illinois Institute of Technology on Tuesday afternoon with the Spartans coming from behind in both contests, winning game one 6-5 and falling 13-11 in 10 innings in game two. AU trailed in game two 9-3.


Game One Score: #11 Aurora University 6, Illinois Institute of Technology 5
Game Two Score: Illinois Institute of Technology 13, #11 Aurora University 11 - 10 innings
Record: Aurora University 22-7 overall and 12-4 NACC
Location: Jim Schmid Field at the Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery, Illinois


Game One:
- The visitors scored once in the first inning.
- AU answered right back with Nico Bermeo, Logan Riley and Nik Panico all singling to load the bases.
- Brenden Naylor worked a walk to tie the game 1-1.
- In the second the Spartans again loaded the bases, this time with no outs following singles from Sean Rivera and Spencer Ruch before Bermeo walked to load em up.
- After an out, Panico hit a long fly out to score Rivera with the go ahead run.
- IIT scored four times in the third to take a 5-2 lead.
- The Spartans again had the first two batters reach but then with two outs, Bermeo doubled to plate Naylor and AU trailed 5-3.
- The pitchers from both sides settled in and the game remained 5-3 IIT into the bottom of the sixth.
- In the sixth, AU loaded the bases with one out when Nick Czarnecki hit a sac fly to score Joe Lukancic. The Spartans then took advantage of an IIT error to tie the game before Sean Rivera doubled in Curcio with the eventual winning run.
- Sam Harvey set down IIT 1-2-3 in the seventh to collect his third win of the season.
- Harvey tossed four innings of one-hit shutout baseball in relief.
Game Two:
- AU struck first in game two with a two-run home run from Derek Angelo in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.
- IIT would score five unearned runs in the fourth inning to regain the lead with the big blow coming on a grand slam.
- Spartan Nico Bermeo hit a solo home run in the fifth to pull AU to down two at 5-3.
- The visitors added four runs to their lead and led 9-3 going to the bottom of the sixth.
- AU reliever Owen Piazza struck out the side in the seventh with the final strike fueling the IIT coach who was given the heave-hoe and an early end to his afternoon.
- That fired up the Spartans who scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
- Bermeo hit his second homer of the game, this time a three-run job and three batters later Logan Riley hit a two-=run homer and AU was down 9-8.
- AU would load the bases again in the inning but a fly out would end the threat.
- IIT answered with two runs in the eighth to push the AU deficit back to three at 11-8.
- The Spartans used some two-out plate patience to rally in the bottom of the eighth.
- A double from Lukancic followed by Riley (walk) and Curcio (error) reaching to load the bases, IIT pitching walked Tyler Patton and Nick Czarnecki to bring the score to 11-10.
- Sean Rivera reached on an infield single which scored Curcio with the tying run and AU had completed the come back and tied the score 11-11.
- After neither team threatened in the ninth, the game went to extra innings.
- An AU error to start the 10th for IIT was followed by a two-run home run for a 13-11 visitor lead.
- Riley led off the 10th with a single but the next three Spartans would be set down as AU fell 13-11 in 10 innings.


Game One:
HITTING
HITS: Nik Panico, Nico Bermeo, Logan Riley and Sean Rivera (2)
DOUBLE: Nico Bermeo and Sean Rivera (1)
RUNS: Logan Riley, Nico Bermeo, Dominick Curcio, Brenden Naylor, Spencer Ruch and Joe Lukancic (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Nico Bermeo, Nik Panico, Brenden Naylor, Sean Rivera and Nick Czarnecki (4)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Adrian Ruiz (3.0) and Sam Harvey (4.0)
DECISIONS: Sam Harvey (win 3-0) 
STRIKEOUTS: Sam Harvey (4)

Game Two:
HITTING
HITS: Logan Riley, Nico Bermeo, Sean Rivera, Derek Angelo and Dominick Curcio (2)
DOUBLE: Joe Lukancic (1)
TRIPLE: Dominick Curcio (1)
HOME RUN: Nico Bermeo (2) Logan Riley and Derek Angelo (1)
RUNS: Logan Riley, Nico Bermeo and Dominick Curcio (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Nico Bermeo (4) and Logan Riley and Derek Angelo (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Jcoey Pettit (3.2), CJ Cazares (1.1), Bryce Miller (0.0), Owen Piazza (3.0), Sam Harvey (1.0) and Anthony Consiglio (1.0)
DECISIONS: Anthony Consiglio (loss, 0-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Owen Piazza (7)