The Aurora University baseball team hosted the Illlinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks in the final NACC double-header of the season. AU needed to win one game to clinch the number one seed in the conference tournament, they did just that winning game one 13-3 and then taking game two 11-0 only needing seven innings for both games. During the day, Spartan junior Joe Lukancic accomplished two different astonishing feats. In game one, he collected his 241st hit of the season, passing Jeff Mayes for second on the all-time hits list, then in game two he hit his 86th hit of the season passing Corey Breyne for first on the single-season hits lists.
Game One Score: Aurora University 13 , Illinois Institute of Technology 3 - 7 innings
Game Two Score: Aurora University 11 , Illinois Institute of Technology 0
Record: Aurora University 28-12 overall and 20-4 in the NACC, Illinois Institute of Technology 21-19 overall, 15-9 NACC
Location: Jim Schmid Field, Montgomery, Illinois
Game One:
- The Scarlet Hawks got out to an early advantage, scoring twice in the first inning.
- Kyle Mack hit a SAC fly to right to score Lukancic in the bottom of the inning.
- AU's big inning came in the third when they scored eight runs, starting off with a Ryan Buck single to score Mack.
- Mack got on base by a single, which was the 100th hit of his AU career.
- Isaac Goddard then smacked a bases clearing double to make the score 5-2.
- Lukancic had a RBI-single that was the 241st hit of his career. That hit would pass Jeff Mayes for second on the all-time hits list, only second to Jett Wedekind with 281.
- Zack Tarrant then launched a 3-RBI homer through the wind to center.
- AU led 9-2 after three innings of play.
- IIT tacked on another run in the fourth, what would prove to be their final run of the game.
- The Spartans then collected three more runs in the fourth.
- Then in the sixth, Goddard scored the final run of the game.
- The Spartans took game one 13-3, clinched at least a share of the NACC regular season title.
Game Two
- AU senior Edgar Barba started on the bump and controlled this one from the get-go. Commanding the six innings he was asked of, only allowing four hits, no walks and adding nine strikeouts.
- The Spartan offense got started in the second when Goddard singled in Tyler Patton, and Matthew Washington singled in Ryan Buck and Nick Czarnecki.
- Another five runs would be scored as the inning went on.
- Joe Lukancic doubled in the third, his 86th hit of the year putting him alone at the top of the single-season hits list.
- Zack Tarrant then doubled in Lukancic to make the score 9-0.
- Jaden Holgado singled in Czarnecki and Buck to score the final two runs of the game.
- AU would take game one 11-0, and secure the NACC regular season championship, hoisting it all by themselves.
Game One
Hitting
HITS: Nick Czarnecki (3)
DOUBLES: Tyler Patton and Isaac Goddard (1)
RUNS: Five different Spartans (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Zack Tarrant and Isaac Goddard (3)
PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Conner Hogan (5.0) and Drew Piaskowy (2.0)
DECISIONS: Conner Hogan (win, 9-2)
STRIKEOUTS: Conner Hogan (4) and Drew Piaskowy (2)
Game Two
HITS: Joe Lukancic (3)
DOUBLES: Joe Lukancic and Zack Tarrant (1)
RUNS: Joe Lukancic, Ryan Buck and Nick Czarnecki (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Zack Tarrant (3)
PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Edgar Barba (6.0) and Noah Schlup (1.0)
DECISIONS: Edgar Barba (win, 5-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Edgar Barba (9)
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Next scheduled action for the Spartan baseball team comes on Thursday, May 7 when they travel to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament hosted at Benedictine University. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. in Lisle, Illinois.
