PEORIA, Ill.. – Coach
Kris Kistler's Augustana softball team completed a successful trip to the MMU Collegiate Slugger Series on Friday, defeating Concordia-Chicago 8-2 at the Louisville Slugger Athletic Complex. The Vikings pounded out 13 hits, including three home runs, and freshman
Nadia Ranieri (Riverside-Brookfield HS, North Riverside, Ill.) earned the win in her first career start in the circle. Now 2-0 on the season, Augustana is scheduled to host Wisconsin-Whitewater in a doubleheader at Carver Field on Saturday, March 13.
The Cougars got to Ranieri for a run in the top of the first on a single, a walk and an RBI single by Annabella Archuletta. Becky Pieroni's solo homer in the third gave Concordia a 2-0 lead.
After leaving the bases full in the second and stranding two runners in the third, the Vikings finally got to Cougar starter Karly Knight in the fourth.
Sydney Ohrtmann (Freeport HS, Rockford, Ill.) led off with a single, moved to third on an
Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry West HS, Spring Grove, Ill.) double and scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half.
Josie Smith (St. Francis HS, Wheaton, Ill.) singled in Dehmlow with the tying run and two outs later,
Tristan Bautista (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) homered to give Kistler's bunch a 4-2 lead.
Jannae Mehaffey's (Cherry Creek HS, Englewood, Colo.) one-out single and another Dehmlow double tacked on a run in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Ranieri settled in and retired eight of the last nine batters she faced before exiting in favor of
Cecelia Peine (Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) to start the sixth.
Peine left two Cougars stranded in the top of the sixth and
Nichole Nash (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) led off the bottom of the frame with a pinch-hit homer to make it 6-2.
Jennifer Sears (Marist HS, New Lenox, Ill.) followed with a pinch double and stole third and two outs later,
Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) finished off the day's scoring with a two-run round-tripper.
Peine retired the side in the seventh, striking out a pair.
Dehmlow went 3-for-3 at the plate. Bautista and Ohrtmann were each 2-for-3 and Bautista and
Erin Smith drove in two runs apiece. Ranieri (1-0) gave up five hits and two walks while fanning six in a five-inning stint. Peine finished up with two scoreless innings for the second day in a row.
