Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Coach Kris Kistler's club split its two games Saturday on day one of the Augustana Invitational at Carver Field. The Vikings downed Ripon 4-3 in nine innings to start the day before suffering a 9-0 setback to Dubuque. Augustana is now 6-8 on the season and will face the same two opponents on Sunday, March 26 at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
 
AUGUSTANA 4, RIPON 3 (9)
 
Junior Lauren Severson (Morris HS, Morris, Ill.) squeezed in sophomore Clare Kramer (Prophetstown HS, Lyndon, Ill.) with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in Augustana's tournament-opening win over Ripon (4-7). Kramer had started the inning at second as stipulated by international tiebreaker rules. She advanced to third one out later when Brittany Kellett (The Woodlands HS The Woodlands, Texas) reached on an error and tallied the game-winner on Severson's bunt.
 
Starting pitchers Kelcie Fredrickson (Fisher HS, Foosland, Ill.) and Lexi Reetz matched goose eggs for the first three innings.
 
In the top of the fourth, Redhawks took the lead with two off Fredrickson. Isabella Osborn had an RBI single to left and Teara Morgenroth knocked in a run with a fielder's choice. The Vikings answered with two in the bottom half on an RBI double by Haley Ruch (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort, Ill.) and a run-scoring single to center by Kellett.
 
Each hurler posted three more goose eggs before each team tallied a run in the eighth. Ripon loaded the bases, but it looked like Fredrickson might escape unscathed when Reetz line into a double play. However, Osborn drove in the go-ahead run with a double down the left field line. Augustana tied in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Carly Wilson (Johnsburg HS, Ringwood, Ill.) started on second, stole third and scored on Shelby Grandt's (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Colo.) sacrifice fly to center.
 
Fredrickson set the Redhawks down in order in the top of the ninth and Severson's bunt won in the bottom half.
 
Both pitchers went the distance. Fredrickson allowed just four hits and one earned run and improved to 2-3 on the year. Reetz gave up six hits and two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings, falling to 3-4 with the loss.
 
DUBUQUE 9, AUGUSTANA 0
 
Viking starter Danielle Klatt (Mountain Vista Highlands Ranch, Colo.) left two runners stranded in the first and set the side down in order in the second, but Dubuque got to her for a run in the third. Courtney Markin's double to center scored Dia Borden with the only run the Spartans (5-10) would need.
 
Alaina Hofmann (Moline HS Moline, Ill.) relieved Klatt to start the fourth and threw a scoreless inning. However, Dubuque broke it open with five in the bottom of the fifth. Nikki Blum singled to right to start the inning. A fielder's choice that didn't yield an out and a Taylor Allard single loaded the bases. Kayleigh Leddy singled in one run and Brandy Heraty two more. Ellie Schneider had a two-run single later in the frame and Klatt returned to the circle.
 
Hailey Wang's three-run three-run homer in the sixth ended the contest early.
 
Spartan starter Mackenzie Kyle stymied Augustana on just three singles. She walked none and fanned 10 and improved to 2-3 on the year. Klatt gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits in four innings of work. She suffered the loss in her first decision of the season.