AUKLAND’S WALK-OFF HIGHLIGHTS HIGHPOWERED SPLIT AGAINST EAGLES 

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Aden Aukland played the hero when he plated the game-winning run to secure the season series victory over Judson in a split doubleheader Friday afternoon at Watson Field.

The junior's walk-off capped off a dramatic 10-9 victory in the opener before the Eagles wrapped the series with a high-powered 17-16 win in the finale.

After Judson (16-13, 8-4 CCAC) staked an early lead with a run in the top of the first, ONU quickly jumped back in front thanks to RBI hits off the bats of Taylor Bledsoe and Aukland. Evan Pogioli extended the lead even further with a two-RBI single in the third to give ONU a 4-1 advantage.

The lead ballooned to as many as five when Takumi Kimoto plated Tyler Kavanagh with an RBI double to make it 7-2 in the fifth inning before the Eagles came soaring back, putting up a four-spot in the sixth to trim the lead to one.

Andy Onnen tacked on some insurance with a two-run blast over the wall in left field to extend the lead back to three, but Judson again had the answer with the three of their own to tie the score.

In the decisive seventh inning, Taylor Bledsoe kicked off the rally with a walk. Jack Dupuis followed up with a base hit before Alex Seaton was intentionally walked to load the bases. With two outs, Aukland came through with a single through the left to score Bledsoe and win it for the Tigers.

The Tigers looked poised to complete the four-game sweep when they spotted themselves a sizeable 10-1 lead after two innings. Six different Tigers recorded RBIs across the two big frames, highlighted by two 2-RBI doubles from Pogioli and Sam Reczek to have ONU up nine early.

But the Eagles stuck with it, plating 16 runs across the next six innings to steal the win from the Tigers.

ONU, now 14-15 overall and 10-8 in league play, will take on Calumet in a four-game series this weekend.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu