MONTGOMERY, Ill. – Augustana dropped both games of a doubleheader at Aurora on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings fell 3-1 and 13-6 to the unbeaten Spartans (6-0), dropping to 2-4 on the season. Coach
Kris Kistler's squad is scheduled to host UW-La Crosse in a 3:00 p.m. twin bill at Carver Field on Saturday, March 20.
AURORA 3, AUGUSTANA 1
Aurora's Hannah Tomasko limited Augustana to just three hits while striking out eight in the opener.
The Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brianna Lewis touched
Nadia Ranieri (Riverside-Brookfield HS, North Riverside, Ill.) for a leadoff single and came around to score on Josephine Lytton's one-out double to center. One out later, Lexie Rayborn singled in Lytton.
Aurora added an unearned run in the second to make it 3-0.
The Vikings got to Tomasko for their only run in the top of the fourth. She hit
Sydney Ohrtmann (Freeport HS, Rockford, Ill.) with one out and then gave up a two-out RBI double to
Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo). After walking freshman
Olivia Blood (Riverside-Brookfield HS, North Riverside, Ill.) to put the tying run on base, she fanned Ranieri to get out of the inning.
Tomasko (3-0) left runners stranded at second in the fifth and sixth innings and pitched around a two-out walk in the seventh to finish of the complete-game win. Ranieri fell to 1-2 with the loss. She gave up five hits and two earned runs in four innings.
Cecelia Peine (Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) threw two scoreless frames in relief.
AURORA 13, AUGUSTANA 6
The nightcap was tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the fifth, but the hosts exploded for 10 runs in their final two at-bats to win by a comfortable margin.
Lewis reached on an error to ignite a six-run Spartan fifth. Lytton singled her in with the go-ahead run. Aly Teixeira added an RBI double and Delilah Aguirre a two-run double in the frame.
Augustana responded with three runs in the top of the sixth.
Jennica Soliz (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) had a leadoff single and scored on
Ashlyn Mathers' (Pomona HS, Westminster, Colo.) RBI double.
Jennifer Sears (Marist HS, New Lenox, Ill.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and
Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry HS, Spring Grove, Ill.) made it 9-6 with an RBI single.
Ashley Talaga's three-run double was the big hit in a four-run Aurora sixth.
Tomasko pitched around an Ohrtmann single in the seventh to close things out.
Spartan starter Taylor Shaw (2-0) lasted 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. Vikings starter
Erin Smith (1-2) went 4 1/3 and suffered the loss.
Dehmlow went 3-for-3 at the plate and Mathers 2-for-3 with two RBI. Ohrtmann also had two hits.
