TIGERS OPEN CCAC TOURNAMENT WITH STATEMENT WIN OVER VITERBO

JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team opened its run in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a statement 8-3 win over Viterbo Wednesday afternoon at Slammers Stadium.

ONU capitalized early to take quick control of the opening-round matchup. Vince Martinez and Sam Reczek sent out back-to-back RBI base knocks in the second before Aden Aukland roped an RBI double to the wall in center to take a 3-0 lead in the third inning.

Viterbo (24-24), who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, scratched across three runs to tie the game in the fifth. But the Tigers quickly responded by loading the bases in the top of the sixth, and Jack Dupuis paid it off with an RBI single to put ONU back in front.

The Tigers would maintain the one-run lead over the closing innings until exploding for four runs in the ninth. Alex Seaton, Evan Pogioli, and Taylor Bledsoe all recorded RBIs in the four-spot that gave ONU all the insurance runs they would need to pick up the win.

Jacob Aseltine struck out three while allowing three earned runs over four and two-thirds innings as the ONU starter. Qade Carrington followed in relief, earning the win after pitching nearly three perfect innings. Tyler Snoreck collected the save.

Aukland led a group of six Tigers with multi-hit games as part of a 15-hit attack. He went 3-for-5 with his one RBI.

ONU will now face top-seeded Judson Thursday at 10 a.m.

--ONU—

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