DECATUR, Ill. – Augustana got the CCIW portion of its 2019 schedule underway on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with Millikin at Workman Family Field. The Vikings took the opener 2-1 behind strong pitching from Kelcie Fredrickson (Fisher HS, Foosland, Ill.) and Brittany Pospishil's (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) two-run double in the fourth. The nightcap went to the Big Blue by a score of 6-4 in

eight innings. Coach Kris Kistler's club is now 12-12 on the year and 1-1 in the CCIW heading into a twin bill at fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday, April 7. Millikin moved to 17-5 overall and 3-3 in the league.
 
AUGUSTANA 2, MILLIKIN 1
 
Fredrickson surrendered a run in the bottom of the first before shutting the big Blue out the rest of the way. She walked Kalli Farmer with two outs and Maggie Comerford followed with an RBI double to center to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
 
Millikin starter Rachel Patting cruised through three innings, allowing only a single by Pospishil in the second. She retired the leadoff batter in the fourth, but Carly Wilson (Johnsburg HS, Ringwood, Ill.) legged out an infield hit and Haley Ruch (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort, Ill.) singled to left. That brought up Pospishil, who doubled to left center, scoring both runners. Taylor Belo (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) laid down a bunt single, but Patting retired the next two Vikings, leaving runners stranded at first and third.
 
Millikin threatened in the sixth, getting a Comerford single and a Skielyr Trenkle double with two outs, but Fredrickson coaxed a comebacker from Kelsey Farmer to end the inning. The senior right-hander set the Big Blue down in order in the seventh, moving to 4-3 with the win. She allowed six hits, walked one and fanned two in her second complete game of the year.
 
Patting went the distance and fell to 7-3.
 
Pospishil had two of Augustana's seven hits.
 
MILLIKIN 6, AUGUSTANA 4 (8)
 
Jordan Hildebrand's two-run homer in the top of the eighth lifted Millikin to victory in game two. With the teams tied at 4-4, Viking freshman lefty Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) gave up a leadoff single to Kelsey Farmer. One out later, Hildebrand homered to center to put her club up 6-4.
 
Aly Armstrong (4-0) pitched around an Alyssa Klahn (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox, Ill.) single in the bottom of the eighth to finish off a stellar seven-inning relief stint and get the win.
 
Augustana jumped on top with three runs off Big Blue starter Gracie Brookens in the bottom of the first. Amanda Ray (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) was hit by a pitch with one out and Wilson blasted her team-leading third homer of the year to center field. The Vikings added another run when Pospishil singled and scored on Belo's RBI double down the right field line.
 
Millikin got to Augustana starter Cecelia Peine (Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) for an unearned run in the second before taking a 4-3 lead with three in the fifth. Kelsey Farmer's two-run single was the big hit.
 
The Vikings tied in the bottom of the fifth, getting their only run off Armstrong—who came on to start the second—when Dina Falk (Lake Park HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) singled to left with one out and later scored on an error.
 
Smith came out of the pen to start the sixth and threw two scoreless frames before the Big Blue took the lead in the eighth. She suffered the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year. Peine gave up eight hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings of work.
 
Belo finished 3-for-4 at the plate.