CAROL STREAM, Ill. - The Elmhurst University baseball team came up just short in a 12-9 loss to Augustana College in the opening round of the CCIW Tournament. 

Elmhurst (17-24) jumped out a pair of early leads against the 24th-ranked Vikings, but Augustana (34-7) scored eight runs in the fifth inning to take control of the contest and earn the victory. 

The Bluejays started quickly as Carter Truong led off the contest with a solo homer. Troy Taller added an RBI single in the first to stake the Bluejays to a 2-0 lead. Augustana scored a run on a Matt Ozanic RBI double in the bottom of the first to slice Elmhurst's lead in half. 

Taller cracked a solo homer in the fourth to extend Elmhurst's lead to 3-1. The Vikings answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth of take their first lead of the game at 4-3. 

Elmhurst responded with a four-run outburst in the fifth. Trey Romay started the scoring and tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI double. Lorenzo Farino followed with a three-run homer to left to give Elmhurst's its largest lead of the game at 7-4. 

Augustana took control of the contest with an eight-run fifth inning. The Vikings had a run in with two outs and a runner on second when a catcher's interference call allowed another batter to reach. A walk, a hit batter and another walk forced home two runs to pull Augustana even at 7-7. Griffen Psigoda followed with a two-run double to put the Vikings up 9-7. Augustana added three more runs to lead 12-7 after five innings. 

Truong drove in a run in the sixth to pull Elmhurst to within four runs at 12-8. The Bluejays closed to within three on a Charlie May RBI double in the eighth, but Elmhurst came no closer as Augustana held on for the three-run victory. 

May finished 3-for-3 at the plate while Troung, Farino and Taller totaled two hits apiece. Farino drove in three runs while Taller and Troung knocked in two runs apiece. 

Mitchell Owens led Augustana at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. 

Alex Kielion made the start and took a no-decision for Elmhurst. Kielion worked 4.2 innings and allowed nine hits and five earned runs. He walked four and struck out six. Noah Jordan took the loss in relief, allowing three unearned runs. 

Elmhurst takes on Illinois Wesleyan University in the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament tomorrow (May 20) at 3:30 p.m. The two squads will play at North Central College.