ROCHESTER, Minn.—Augustana opened the 2020 season Saturday by splitting a pair of games at the Regional Dome. The Vikings fell 9-1 to Luther (5-0) in their opener before defeating Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1-2) 8-7 in the nightcap. On Sunday, March 8, Coach Kris Kistler's 1-1 club will take on Bethel (Minn.) at 10:00 a.m. and Gustavus Adolphus at 2:00 p.m.
 
LUTHER 9, AUGUSTANA 1
 
Augustana scored first in its season opener, but Luther answered with nine straight runs to defeat the Vikings 9-1.
 
Starting pitchers Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Kendra Cooper matched goose eggs through two innings, but sophomore Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry West HS, Spring Grove, Ill.) led off the top of the third with an infield hit and stole second. Sophomore Sydney Ohrtmann (Freeport HS, Rockford, Ill.) singled Dehmlow to third and she scored on Josie Smith's (St. Francis HS, Wheaton, Ill.) squeeze to put Augustana up 1-0.
 
It didn't take long for the Norse to respond. RBI singles by Paige Timmerman and Annie See in the bottom of the third gave Luther a lead (2-1) that it wouldn't relinquish. Sydney Schultz's two-run double off Hope Moos (Lincoln HS, Hartsburg, Ill.) was the big hit in a three-run Norse fourth and she singled in two more runs in the fifth to make it 7-1.
 
Luther tallied a run on an error in the sixth before See's RBI single made it 9-1 and ended the game an inning early.
 
Ohrtmann had two of Augustana's five hits. Four Norse finished with two hits each.
 
Erin Smith gave up four runs (three earned) in three innings and suffered the loss. Moos surrender five runs (two earned) in a two-inning stint.  Cooper got the win to improve to 4-0. She went the distance, walking one and fanning four.
 
AUGUSTANA 8, UW-EAU CLAIRE 7
 
The Vikings answered a five-run Eau Claire seventh with three in the bottom half to defeat the Blugolds 8-7.
 
Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, Augustana got walks from Nichole Nash (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) and Alyssa Klahn (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox, Ill.) to start the frame. After a pitching change, Erin Smith reached on an error to load the bases. Dehmlow delivered Nash with a sacrifice fly to get the Vikings within a run. Ohrtmann walked to reload the bases and an out later, a wild pitch plated Klahn with the tying run. Josie Smith followed with a single to right that scored pinch-runner Brittany Pospishil (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) with the game-winner.
 
Both starters held the opposition in check for the most part. Eau Claire got its only run off Cecelia Peine (Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) in the top of the third when Mikayla McEnerny led off with a double and later scored on a Meghan Witt single. Blugold Maddie Zerr shut the Vikings out through four, but Tristan Bautista (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) had an RBI double and Molly Wrenn (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) a run-scoring infield hit in the fifth to give Augustana 2-1 lead.
 
With both starters gone, Eau Claire tied it with a run in the top of the sixth and the Vikings responded with three in the bottom half to go up 5-2. Erin Smith had an RBI single and Ohrtmann drove in another run when she was struck with the bases loaded.
 
Tessa Dachel and McEnerny each drove in a pair of runs as the Blugolds tallied five in the top of the seventh to take a 7-5 lead and set up Augustana's rally in the bottom half.
 
Peine went five strong innings, allowing five hits and a run while walking three and fanning three. Dehmlow went 1 2/3 innings in relief and picked up the win. Bautista and Nash each had two hits and Nash and Klahn both scored twice.
 
Zerr gave up two runs in five innings and Morgan Sivak took the loss in relief.