ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Playing outdoor baseball on an unusually warm February afternoon in Minnesota, the Augsburg University baseball team opened its season with an 8-7 nonconference loss to the University of Northwestern-St. Paul in extra innings on Saturday.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Northwestern-St. Paul 8, Augsburg 7 (10 inn.)
LOCATION: Roseville, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 0-1 overall, Northwestern 1-0 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• After the Eagles struck first with a run in the bottom of the first, Drew Jenkins (SO, Farmington, Minn./Randolph HS) put the Auggies on the board in the top of the second with an RBI double to left center that scored Adam Marshall (JR, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS). One inning later, newcomer Stanley Regguinti (SO, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) went yard in just his second career at bat with a homer to left field that gave the Auggies a 2-1 advantage.
• Marshall followed Regguinti's lead three innings later in the sixth, belting a solo home run to center field to give the Auggies a two-run cushion. The Auggie lead would grow to 4-1 in the seventh when Ty Gage (SR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) singled up the middle to score Regguinti.
• Northwestern put together a three-run eighth inning to tie the game at four each. Gage restored the Auggie lead in the top of the ninth with another RBI single that plated Regguinti, but the Eagles hit a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to send the game to extras.
• The Auggie offense found success again in the top of the tenth with a pair of runs crossing the plate to put them up 7-5, first on an RBI single from Andruw Vela (FY, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) and then on a fielder's choice from Regguinti in the very next at bat. The Eagles managed to overcome the two-run deficit in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs on a double to left field and walking the game off on another double to right center.
• Myer Schmitz (JR, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) opened the season on the mound for Augsburg, going 2.1 innings and allowing three hits and one run with one strikeout. Austin Lang (SO, Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS) pitched the following 3.2 innings, striking out four and allowing just two hits while holding the Eagles scoreless.
• Jake Pittelkow (SO, Roseville, Minn./Simley HS) pitched 1.1 innings of relief, allowing three hits and two runs with two strikeouts. Jake Skogrand (JR, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) came in in relief of Pittelkow, giving up four earned runs on six hits with one strikeout in 1.2 innings. Manny Weiss (SO, Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar HS) was ultimately charged with the loss for the Auggies, allowing two hits and the game-winning run in the tenth.
• Marshall was 3-for-4 at the plate on the day for Augsburg, coming around to score three times and batting one in on his solo home run. Regguinti impressed in his debut for the Auggies, going 2-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI.
• Gage was also effective at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Lance Nayman (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) and Jenkins each finished 2-for-4.
 
FOR THE FOES
• Bryce Crabb finished the day 2-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI for the Eagles.
• The game marked the first career win for Northwestern Head Coach Jesse Eikum in his first season at the helm.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will return to action next Saturday (3/2) in River Falls, Wis. with a doubleheader against UW-Superior starting at 1 pm.