Baseball knocks Aurora from top of NACC standings with doubleheader sweep

AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University entered Monday's NACC twinbill against Concordia University Wisconsin with a 5-1 league record, good enough for tops in the league standings. The Spartans don't sit there anymore however as the Falcons gained a doubleheader sweep Monday, winning the games by scores of 13-5 and 7-0.

In the second game, sophomore Dylan Gausman (Eagan, Minn.) was outstanding in his first start on the mound this season. Gausman worked eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five. The right hander walked just one batter in picking up his first win of 2015. Junior Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis.) worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the shutout for the Falcons.

In game two the Falcons jumped right on Aurora as freshman Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.) led off the game with a single and freshman Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) followed with a two-run blast over the right field wall, making the score 2-0. Thyssen, who finished the game with three hits and three RBI, added an RBI double in the third, again plating Szeszol.

CUW (10-11, 4-4 NACC) would add a run in the fourth on an RBI single from freshman Noah Greenberg (Libertyville, Ill.) and then broke the game open with three runs in the top of the eighth. Sophomore Luke Wirtz (Marshfield, Wis.) had the big hit in the eighth inning, a two-RBI single plating Greenberg and sophomore Bryan Thomas (Lowell, Ind.).

Szeszol and Thyssen did a great job pacing the Falcons lineup, each gaining three hits from the top of the batting order. Adding three hits was sophomore Isaac Tewes (Chaska, Minn.), while senior Joel Sharon (Milwaukee, Wis.) doubled in the game. Aurora was held without an extra base hit in game two as Gausman was difficult to solve from the get go.

The opening game saw Concordia Wisconsin fall behind 4-0 after one inning of play but the Falcons came back with two runs apiece in the second, fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-4 lead. CUW would then erupt for six runs in the sixth inning, putting the game out of reach for a 13-5 win.

The Falcons offense recorded 14 hits in the opener with six starters collecting at least two hits, led by sophomore Matt Schubert's (West Bend, Wis.) three-hit attack. Thyssen and Greenberg each drove in a pair of runs for the Falcons.

Finishing with two hits in the second game was Szeszol, who collected five total in his first day at the leadoff spot for CUW, Sharon, senior Brandon Seifert (Germantown, Wis.), Tewes and Greenberg. Tewes, Greenberg and Schubert combined for eight of the Falcons runs from the 5-7 spots in the batting order.

Freshman Joey Schuman (New Lenox, Ill.) and junior Tyler Gross (Wauwatosa, Wis.) were spectacular out of the bullpen for the Falcons in game one. Schuman worked three shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Gross came on for the final five innings and allowed just one run, while punching out a pair.

Tanner Oymaian and Adam Lipscomb each had three hits in the opener to pace Aurora. The Falcons were also aided by five Aurora errors in the opener as just seven of their 13 runs were earned in the game.

The Falcons will have tomorrow off before returning to the diamond Wednesday for a non-league game with St. Norbert. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Kapco Park.