PITTSBURG – Augustana University jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning and held off the Pittsburg State University baseball team down the stretch to claim a 10-8 victory in the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Regional Saturday (May 16).
The 17
th ranked Viking (45-14) and No. 3 ranked Gorillas will now meet in a winner-takes-all Regional Final at 1 p.m. (CDT) Sunday at Al Ortolani Field.
Dagen Brewer and
Isaac Webb each collected four hits in the contest for Pitt State. Brewer went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. He set the D2 single season record for RBI with 106. Webb had a double among his four hits.
Jadyn McNealy also went 3-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base, his 48
th of the season.
Andrew Branson also drove in three runs in the contest.
Ty Blecha (4-3) took the loss on the mound for the Gorillas. He allowed five runs in 1.0 inning of work. Six relievers –
Ryan Leiker,
Bradley Neill,
Elijah Seitz,
Ricardo Hernandez,
Cooper Crouch and
Porter Starnes – pitched behind Blecha. Hernandez tossed 2.2 innings of hitless relief in the middle innings.
Augustana secured a 5-2 victory over Arkansas Tech University in the early game Saturday to advance into the Central Regional Final against the Gorillas.
Â
