Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Florida – Augustana head softball coach Kris Kistler reached a significant milestone on Thursday, February 27 in Clermont, Florida when her 13^th ranked Vikings defeated Alma 6-5 in the first game of a double header. It was the 400^th coaching victory for Kistler at Augustana. Kistler, who began her coaching career with the Vikings in 2000, entered the 2014 season with a record of 399-202-2 at Augustana. She had an overall career mark of 408-212-2 that includes one year at Plattsburgh State in New York in 1999.
 
The Vikings dropped the second game of the double header to Alma by a score of 4-2.
 
GAME 1 – AUGUSTANA 6, ALMA 5
 
Despite some anxious moments in the sixth inning, the 13^th ranked Vikings held on for a 6-5 victory over Alma to give head coach Kris Kistler her 400^th coaching victory at Augustana.
 
With senior Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) on the hill, Augustana appeared to be in command with a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore Kendra Rakers (Belleville West HS, Millstadt, Ill.) relieved Hintz to start the inning and immediately ran into trouble, giving up a double, two singles, a walk and a wild pitch before Hintz was called upon to put out the fire. Before the dust settled the Scots had four runs on the board and the once comfortable lead was down to two runs (6-4).
 
In the seventh Hintz gave up a home run to Cori Witham that sliced the margin to 6-5 but she got the final out on a pop fly to first base and Kistler had a hard-earned 400^th win.
 
The Augustana offense got rolling early in the game with a five-run second inning and the rally started with two outs. Sophomore designated hitter Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.) started it with a single to left field and sophomore center fielder Jennifer Gray (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) followed with a single to move Anderson to second. Freshman Amanda Ebert (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) pinch ran for Anderson and a walk to sophomore Miranda Hiemer (Nazareth Academy, Chicago, Ill.) loaded the bases. Junior left fielder Laura Behnke (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Roselle, Ill.) cleared the bases with a three-run double to make it 3-0. Junior Jenna Teson (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) followed with a double to score Behnke and senior Krista Watson (Coal City HS, Coal City, Ill.) doubled home Teson to complete the five run uprising.
 
In the fourth the Vikings added another run when Behnke singled to right center with one out. She stole second and came home on a single to right by Teson to make it 6-0. The score stayed that way until Alma broke through with four in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Watson went four for four with an RBI while Behnke was two for four with three RBI and two runs scored. Teson was two for three with two RBI and a run scored and Anderson and Gray also had two hits apiece. Hintz picked up the victory as she worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
GAME 2 – ALMA 4, AUGUSTANA 2
 
The Vikings dropped a heart-breaker in the night cap when Alma put four runs on the board, helped along by an error to start the inning, in the top of the seventh. Augustana was leading 2-0 heading into the final frame and Anderson had the Scot batters baffled.
 
An error to start the seventh was followed by a passed ball, a double, a walk, two singles, a sacrifice fly and another single. That added up to four runs for Alma and the Vikings went down one-two-three in the seventh.
 
Augustana scored first with a single run in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Jaime Rehmert (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) singled to left and was replaced by pinch runner Cassie Saufley (Normal West HS, Hudson, Ill.). Saufley advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Christina Pagan (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) and stole third. She scored on a single by Anderson.
 
In the sixth Pagan singled to lead off the inning and went to second on a sacrifice by Gray. She scored on another RBI single off the bat of Anderson.
 
The Vikings managed just six hits off Scot hurler Breu Olling with Anderson collecting two of them as well as driving in both runs. Anderson worked seven innings on the mound and gave up eight hits with three strikeouts.