Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana smacked a total of 22 hits and scored 18 runs in defeating Northland twice in opening day action of the Augustana Softball Invitational on Saturday, March 25 at Carver Field. The Vikings also received solid pitching, limiting the Lumber Jills to just one run and 11 hits in a total of 11 innings.
 
The Vikings evened their record at 10-10 and will play Wartburg (11:00 a.m.) and St. Ambrose (5:00 p.m.) on Saturday, March 26.
 
GAME 1 – AUGUSTANA 9, NORTHLAND 0
 
Senior Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.) contributed with both her bat and her arm to help lift Augustana to a 9-0 win over Northland in the first game of the Augustana Invitational. Anderson tossed four innings of three-hit ball and picked up the win, her sixth of the year against six losses. She also added a base hit and scored a pair of runs.
 
The Vikings struck first in the bottom of the first when sophomore Alaina Hofmann (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) singled in Ashley Anderson, who had reached on an error.
 
In the bottom of the second Augustana broke the game open with five runs on four hits and helped along by two Lumber Jill errors and a wild pitch.  In the fourth senior Kassandra Anderson (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) led off with a trip and that triggered a three run outburst. Junior Ashley Klauss' (Trinity HS, Chicago, Ill.) double to center field with one out drove in a pair of runs to cap the frame.
 
While Anderson go the win on the mound, freshman Kelcie Fredrickson (Fisher HS, Foosland, Ill.) tossed a perfect fifth inning in relief where she recorded all three outs via strikeout.
 
The Vikings pounded out 11 hits and freshman Taylor Belo (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) had two of them.
 
GAME 2 – AUGUSTANA 9, NORTHLAND 1
 
Senior Kendra Rakers (Belleville West HS, Millstadt, Ill.) scattered eight hits and gave up just one run while striking out four in six innings of work as Augustana defeated Northland 9-1 in the second game of the Augustana Invitational. Rakers, who moved to 2-0 on the year, got plenty of support from a Viking offense that collected 11 hits off Northland hurler Crystal Diaz.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Augustana struck for two runs in the bottom of the second. After two were out, freshman Haley Ruch (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort, Ill.) singled and sophomore Jordan Arndt (Lockport HS, Lockport, Ill.) reached on an error which moved Ruch all the way to third. Freshman Rachel Anderson (Rochester HS, Rochester, Ill.) singled home Ruch and pushed Arndt to third. Freshman Taylor Belo (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) singled home Arndt to make the score 2-0.
 
Freshman Clare Kramer (Prophetstown HS, Lyndon, Ill.) singled with one out in the third and came home on a double by junior Brittany Kellett's (The Woodlands HS, The Woodlands, Texas) double to left field to push the advantage to 3-0. Junior Madeline McGuire (Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.) doubled in Belo with two outs in the fourth after Belo reached on an error to make it 4-0.
 
Northland scored a single run in the top of sixth to narrow the gap to 4-1 but the Vikings answered with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game 9-1 due to the mercy rule. The big blow in the inning was a two out, bases loaded triple by sophomore Shelby Grandt (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Colo.).
 
Kellett had three hits and Kramer and Rachel Anderson each had two to spark the offense. Grandt picked up three runs-batted-in.