CLERMONT, Fla. - The Augustana softball team split its first two games on the opening day of the season in Clermont, Florida on Sunday, February 24. The Vikings beat Alma 2-1 to open things up on Sunday morning and then fell to Neumann 11-6 to make Augustana's season record 1-1.
 
The Vikings are back in action again on Monday, February 25 with games against St. Mary's (MN) and Capital.
 
02/24/19 – AUGUSTANA 2, ALMA 1
 
The Scots jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first against Augustana senior pitcher Kelcie Fredrickson (Fisher HS, Foosland, Ill.). Cassidy Tucker and Chelsea Schweiger led things off with a pair of singles and a one-out single by Kaylee Martin brought Tucker home to make it 1-0.
 
Fredrickson would settle in for the Vikings, pitching six innings of one-run softball with four strikeouts and six hits allowed.
 
Augustana tied up the game in the top of the fifth with a Dina Falk (Lake Park HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) double to left field. Carly Wilson (Johnsburg HS, Ringwood, Ill.) would drive Falk in with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher to make it 1-1.
 
Alma threatened to score in the bottom half of the fifth when Hannah Cambe reached on an error and advanced to second on a Tucker groundout. Schweiger had a two-out single to advance Cambe to third, but both were left on base.
 
In the top of the sixth, Alyssa Klahn (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox, Ill.) reached on a fielder's choice and Kelsey Heiland (Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Taylor Belo (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.), and Falk all walked, scoring Klahn and giving the Vikings the 2-1 lead.
 
Fredrickson pitched her way out of another jam in the bottom of the sixth when the Scots led off with runners on first and third with no outs. Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) came in to pitch in close out the game for the Vikings, ending the game with a one-two-three bottom of the seventh.
 
Falk reached base three times in the game and drove in a run, Wilson earned the team's other RBI, and senior Haley Ruch (Lincoln-Way North, Frankfort, Ill.).
 
02/24/19 – NEUMANN 11, AUGUSTANA 6
 
Augustana started off the scoring in the second game of the day versus Neumann in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk by Falk. A one-out RBI single by Wilson gave the Vikings the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Knights answered in the top of the second with five runs off of sophomore pitcher Cecelia Peine (Wentzville Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.). Kate Korte' started the rally with a single to center, Vickie Schneider doubled, and Vanessa Bowen knocked in a run on a single to center. With two outs in the inning, Grace Sperrazza brought two more runs home with a double to left, followed by a two-RBI single by Bri Lagroteria to make it a 5-1 lead for Neumann.
 
Freshman pitcher Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry West HS, Spring Grove, Ill.) came into the game with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the third and was able to get out of the inning unscathed.
 
The Vikings cut into the Neumann lead in the bottom of the third with a Brittany Pospishil (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) leadoff single, a single by Falk, and an RBI single by Amanda Ray (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.). Augustana added another run on an error. With two outs and the bases loaded, Klahn walked, bringing in Wilson to make the score 5-3 Neumann.
 
The Knights added a run in both the fourth and fifth innings. Sperrazza doubled and later scored on a passed ball in the fourth. In the fifth inning, Sperrazza added another with an RBI single to make it 7-4 Neumann.
 
Augustana cut into the lead in the bottom half of the fifth with a two-out single by Molly Wrenn (Geneva Community HS, Geneva, Ill.), who then stole second, followed by a Dehnlow RBI double.
 
Pospishil led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single and later scored on a two-out single by Wilson to make it a one-run game. Neumann pitcher Jen Sieminski would stop the Vikings from tying the game, despite loading the bases.
 
Neumann added four more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Kaylee Fiocca knocked in one run and scored on a passed ball, Lagroteria scored on a Kaitlyn Delaney walk, and Rachel Albertson scored on a Scheider walk to make it 11-6.
 
Wilson had two hits and two RBI in the game, Pospishil and Falk each scored twice, and Wrenn and Klahn both reached base three times.