Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana pitchers carried the day on Sunday, March 30 as the Vikings tossed a pair of shutouts on the second and final day, of the Augustana Invitational. Head coach Kris Kistler's team defeated Wartburg 1-0 in the morning game and came back and defeated Ripon 5-0 in the second contest.
 
In the first game senior Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) and junior Christie Wiersema (Morrison HS, Morrison, Ill.) combined on a three-hitter. The second game saw sophomore Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.) and Wiersema team up for a four hit shutout.
 
Augustana, ranked 18th in the latest NCAA Division III national poll, has now won six games in a row and sports a 17-5 overall record. The Vikings will travel to Galesburg, Illinois on Wednesday, April 2 for a non-conference double header with Knox and then play four College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin road games this weekend. First up will defending league champion Carthage on Saturday, April 5 in Kenosha, Wisconsin and then on Sunday, April 6 Augustana will take on North Park in Chicago.
 
GAME 1 – AUGUSTANA 1, WARTBURG 0
 
Senior Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) and junior Christie Wiersema (Morrison HS, Morrison, Ill.) combined on a three hit shutout as Augustana defeated Wartburg 1-0 in the third game of the Augustana Invitational. The Vikings beat the Knights in the first contest played on Sunday, March 30 at Carver Field on the second day of the tournament.
 
Hintz worked the first five innings and allowed four hits while striking out six and Wiersema came in at the top of the sixth inning and faced the minimum six batters with a pair of strikeouts. Hintz moved to 10-1 on the year while Wiersema picked up her first save of the season.
 
The Vikings didn't generate much offense either against a pair of Knight hurlers but did manage to push across the only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Senior third baseman Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.) opened the frame with a walk and immediately was replaced by freshman Ashley Stiever (Glenbard North HS, Carol Stream, Ill.). Stiever advanced to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by sophomore Jennifer Gray (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.). Junior leftfielder Laura Behnke (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Roselle, Ill.) drew a walk and junior second baseman Jenna Teson (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Stiever at third with Behnke moving to second. Sophomore designated hitter Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.) singled home Behnke with the only run Augustana would need.
 
GAME 2 – AUGUSTANA 5, RIPON 0
 
Anderson and Wiersema combined on a four-hit shutout as the Vikings defeated Ripon 5-0 on Sunday, March 30 in the final game of the Augustana Invitational. Anderson got the start and worked five innings, giving up three hits while striking out three. Wiersema came on in relief to start the sixth inning and gave up just one hit and posted one strikeout. Anderson got the win and moved to 6-4 on the year.
 
Behnke got things started with a triple to lead off the bottom of the first and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Teson. Teson was safe on the play when the Redhawks attempted to nail Behnke at the plate and were unsuccessful. Senior Jaime Rehmert (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) walked and senior Krista Watson (Coal City HS, Coal City, Ill.) singled to lead the bases. A ground ball off the bat of freshman right fielder Amanda Ebert (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) scored Teson to make it 2-0.
 
In the second inning freshman catcher Brittany Kellett (The Woodlands HS, The Woodlands, Texas) reached on an error to start things off. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior center fielder Chelsea Lavin (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.), third on a wild pitch and scored on Teson's single.
 
Watson doubled in the third and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0 and the Vikings added another run in the fifth to account for the final score. Sophomore Kendra Rakers (Belleville West HS, Millstadt, Ill.) pinch hit for Teson to lead off and reached on a bunt single. She stole second and went to third on a single to right by freshman pinch hitter Ginger Hamilton (Thunder Ridge HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.). Rakers scored on a ground out off the bat of junior Cassie Saufley (Normal West HS, Hudson, Ill.).
 
Augustana collected seven hits in the game with Watson getting two and the Vikings did not commit and error in the field.