The Aurora University Spartan baseball team got a gem of a performance on the mound from Joey Pettit in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship game one to win 4-3 and force the winner take all if necessary contest. The Spartans fought but one big inning from the host Eagles proved to much as the Spartans fell 13-8. AU now must wait for a possible at-large (Pool C) selection into the 2024 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship field.


Game One Score: #19 Aurora University 4, Benedictine University 3
Game Two Score: Benedictine University 13, 19 Aurora University 8
Record: Aurora University 34-11 overall; Benedictine University 32-12 overall
Location: Lisle, Illinois - Benedictine University


- Nico Bermeo, Bryce Miller and Joey Pettit all were named to the 2024 NACC All-Tournament Team.


Game One:
- The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead after an inning of play.
- AU scored all of their four runs in the fourth, starting with a Nik Panico RBI single that brought home Joe Lukancic.
- The very next batter Logan Riley went the othe way for an RBI double that scored Derek Angelo and gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
- Nick Czarnecki continued the rally in the fourth with a two-run single that completed the four run fourth for AU.
- The Eagles answered back with a run in their half of the fourth to trim the Spartans lead to 4-2.
- AU starter Joey Pettit retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning, keeping the score locked at 4-2 going into the seventh.
- That score became 4-3 after the Eagles hit a home run in the seventh.
- Pettit would not allow a base runner in the final two innings to finish with a complete game and guide AU to the 4-3 victory.
- Pettit also notched five strikeouts in his full nine innings of work.

Game Two:
- A two-out walk in the second began a three run inning for BU with four free passes doing the damage.
- AU trailed 3-0 going to the fifth when the proverbial wheels fell off.
- BU would score nine times in the inning and led the Spartans 12-0.
- Trailing 13-0 in the seventh and facing a possible mercy rule ending, the Spartans awoke.
- Logan Riley singled to start the inning and following a walk to Nick Czarnecki, Dominck Curcio singled in Riley with the first AU run.
- Tyler Patton then followed with a three-run home run and AU was now down nine at 13-4.
- After a BU pitching change, the hits kept coming with singles from Sean Rivera and Nico Bermeo.
- With one out, Derek Angelo singled in Rivera for a 13-5 score.
- The rally would end with a 6-4-3 double play but the Spartans had life at 13-5.
- The score would remain 13-5 going to the bottom of the ninth where AU again showed they would not go away silently.
- With one out, Bermeo (doubled), and Joe Lukancic,Angelo, Nik Panico and Riley singled with three runs scoring.
- The three runs and two on with one out forced a BU pitching change as the game tightened immensely.
- Two hard hit ground outs would follow though as AU fell 13-8.


Game One:
HITTING
HITS:  Derek Angelo and Dominick Curcio (2)
DOUBLE: Logan Riley (1)
RUNS: Derek Angelo, Nik Panico, Logan Riley and Joe Lukancic
RUNS BATTED IN: Nick Czarnecki (2), Nik Panico and Logan Riley (1)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Joey Pettit (9.0)
DECISIONS: Joey Pettit (win, 2-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Joey Pettit (5)

Game Two:
HITTING
HITS: Nico Bermeo (4)
HOME RUN: Tyler Patton (1)
DOUBLE: Nico Bermeo (1)
RUNS: Eight Spartans (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Tyler Patton (3)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Adrian Ruiz (2.0), Brian Henehan (0.1), Owen Piazza (1.2), Anthony Touhy (0.1), Connor Hogan (0.2), CJ Cazares (3.0) and Anthony Consiglio (1.0)
DECISIONS: Adrian Ruiz (loss, 4-3)
STRIKEOUTS: CJ Cazares (4)