Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Florida – The 13th ranked Augustana softball team won its final two games of the spring break trip to Florida with wins over Thiel (3-1) and Misericordia (10-6) at the National Training Center. The Vikings are now 8-2 on the season and will be in action again on March 15 with a double header against Webster in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, THIEL 1
 
Senior Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) moved her record to 5-0 with a six-hit complete game victory over Thiel on Wednesday, March 5. Hintz did not walk a batter and struck out 10.
 
The Vikings got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when junior Laura Behnke (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Roselle, Ill.) tripled to lead things off. After an out, senior Krista Watson (Coal City HS, Coal City, Ill.) ripped a triple to center field to plate Behnke and Watson scored on a single to right center by senior Jaime Rehmert (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.).
 
Thiel scored a single run on the two hits in the top of the third but Augustana picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, sophomore Jennifer Gray (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) singled in the infield and promptly stole second. She scored on a double to right center field by junior Jenna Teson (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.).
 
Hintz got out of a jam in the fifth when Thiel put the first two batters on with back-to-back singles. Hintz struck out the final two batters of the inning to wiggle out of trouble and she was on her way to retiring the final nine batters she faced.
 
AUGUSTANA 10, MISERICORDIA 6
 
A five run uprising in the top of the sixth inning was enough to help Augustana escape with a 10-6 victory over Misericordia on Wednesday, March 5 in Clermont, Florida. It was the final game of the spring trip for the Vikings and they needed the 15-hit offensive attack to get past the Cougars.
 
The top of the lineup was especially effective as the first three hitters combined for 10 hits in 14 at-bats with six runs scored, seven runs-batted-in and six extra-base hits. Junior Laura Behnke (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Roselle, Ill.) was four for four from her leadoff spot with three RBI and two runs scored. She had two doubles and two triples. Junior Jenna Teson (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) had three hits in five at-bats with two runs scored and two RBI. Senior Krista Watson (Coal City HS, Coal City, Ill.) put up three hits in five at-bats with two runs scored and two RBI. She also hit a home run and had a double.
 
Trailing 5-4 heading into the top of the sixth inning, the Vikings got things going when junior Christie Wiersema (Morrison HS, Morrison, Ill.) reached on an error. She gave way to pinch runner Kendra Rakers (Belleville West HS, Millstadt, Ill.) and Rakers went to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.). A single to right by pitcher Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) moved Rakers to third and Behnke's triple to right scored both Rakers and Hintz to put Augustana up 6-5. Teson singled Behnke home to make it 7-5 and she scored on the play when her hit was misplayed in the outfield. Watson followed with a triple and came in on an RBI ground out off the bat of Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.).
 
The Vikings got an insurance run in the seventh with junior catcher Christina Pagan (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) reached on an error and went to third on a two out double by Hintz. She scored when Teson's ground ball was played into an error.
 
Hintz worked the final 2 2/3 innings in relief of Anderson and freshman Krista Dawson (Niles West HS, Lincolnwood, Ill.) to pick up the win. She struck out three and walked two while giving up four hits. She is now 6-0 on the season.
 
The Vikings struck in the top of the first inning when Watson cranked a two-run home run with Teson aboard. Behnke's two-out triple in the second drove in Tambling, who had singled to make it 3-0.
 
Anderson, the Augustana starter on the mound, ran into trouble, giving up one in the second and three in the third.