PICTURED ABOVE: Evan Rahn struck out seven in eight innings of work in Friday's 3-1 loss at Augustana.

Rock Island, Ill.- The Wheaton baseball team had its six-game winning streak snapped in a 3-1 loss at Augustana on Friday night in the conference opener for both teams. Locked in a pitcher's duel through six innings, Augustana scored a pair of unearned runs on a trio of Thunder errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie. Augustana (9-4) and Wheaton (10-5) will complete their weekend series with a doubleheader tomorrow at Lee Pfund Stadium starting at 1 PM.
 
In a matchup featuring two of the top pitchers in the CCIW, Evan Rahn and Augustana's Seth Davis matched each other blow for blow over eight innings before the Vikings Zach Morganstern threw a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save. Davis improved to 2-0 on the season by throwing eight innings of one-run ball while walking three and striking out eight hitters. Rahn fell to 4-1 on the season but countered by allowing just one earned run while walking one and striking out seven. Both pitchers allowed seven hits.
 
Augustana struck first with a run on four hits in the bottom of the first inning. A leadoff single was erased when Taylor Howe gunned down Jacob Van Duyne trying to steal second. Howe (PICTURED RIGHT) also registered caught stealing on a runner in the bottom of the second inning. The Vikings rallied with a double and a single to put runners on the corners before Grant Stewart's sacrifice fly provided the hosts with a 1-0 lead.
 
Wheaton countered with a two-out rally in the top of the second inning on a Kyle Mellinger double followed by a Jake Portugal RBI single that tied the game at 1-1. The Thunder threatened in the top of the third inning when a leadoff single by Matt Schappell and a walk to Justin Swider to put runners on first and second with no outs but Wheaton was unable to capitalize and the game remained tied.
 
Following the third inning, Rahn would not allow another Viking hit until a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh inning by Jacques Camalick.  Trace Gingerich's sacrifice bunt attempt led to a throwing error that put runners on second and third with no outs. Following a strikeout, another error allowed the Vikings to take a 2-1 lead and the third Thunder error of the inning led to the hosts taking a 3-1 lead.
 
Mellinger led off the top of the ninth with a leadoff walk but was erased on a double play but helped the Vikings seal the 3-1 victory.
 
Trey Martin led the Thunder offense with a 2-4 day at the plate but was the only Wheaton player to manage multiple hits.