ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Millikin's Aly Armstrong spun a three-hit shutout in the opener and the Big Blue rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the nightcap Sunday to sweep a doubleheader from Augustana 6-0 and 5-4 at Carver Field. The Vikings dropped to 3-9 on the season and 0-4 in the CCIW, while Millikin improved to 9-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference.
 
MILLIKIN 6, AUGUSTANA 0
 
The Big Blue gave Armstrong the only run she'd need in the top of the first. Rylee Blake led off with a bunt single, stole second and scored on Kaylee Goluch's RBI single to left.
 
Augustana starter Cecelia Peine (Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) kept the Big Blue lead at 1-0 until the sixth inning. She issued a leadoff walk to Aubrey Hunt and two outs later, Maddie Holland singled in pinch-runner Emma Lewandowksi. Skielyr Trenkle later singled in Holland to make it 3-0.
 
The Vikings mounted their biggest threat in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Nadia Ranieri (Riverside-Brookfield HS, North Riverside, Ill.) doubled to left with one out, but was left stranded at third.
 
Ranieri came on in relief of Holt to start the seventh and Millikin touched her for three runs to make it 6-0. Gretchen Gould's two-run home run was the big hit.
 
Armstrong finished off the shutout with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. She gave up three hits and no walks while fanning six and improved to 5-2 with the win. Peine suffered her second loss in as many decisions.
 
MILLIKIN 5, AUGUSTANA 4
 
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first, Augustana took a 1-0 lead in the second on Kaitlin Rusin's (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) one-out, solo home run.
 
The Vikings added two in the fourth. Molly Wrenn (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) drew a two-out walk and scored on a Ranieri double. Bailey Coffman relieved Big Blue starter Addison Sargent and Sydney Ohrtmann (Freeport HS, Rockford, Ill.) touched her for an RBI single that plated Ranieri to make it 3-0.
 
Pinch-runner Olivia Blood (Riverside-Brookfield HS, North Riverside, Ill.) gave Augustana a 4-0 lead when she scored on a Millikin error in the fifth.
 
Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) blanked the Big Blue on two hits through four innings, but they took advantage of a pair of errors to score four in the fifth. Holland led off with a double and later scored on an error. Goluch had an RBI single and Leah Foreman a run-scoring double before the tying run scored on another Viking miscue.
 
Augustana threatened in the top of the seventh when Ashlyn Mathers (Pomona HS, Westminster, Colo.) doubled with one out. However, Coffman retired the next two batters to leave her stranded.
 
Millikin won it in the bottom half. After reliever Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry West HS, Spring Grove, Ill.) set down the first two batters, the Big Blue got consecutive singles from Foreman and Hunt. Foreman came around to score the game winner when Gould's grounder to the left side couldn't be handled.
 
Coffman (2-0) went 3 1/3 scoreless inning in relief and earned the win. Dehmlow (0-2) took the loss.
 
Rusin and Ranieri each had two hits for the Vikings. Foreman finished 4-for-4 for Millikin.
 
Augustana is scheduled to play a 3:00 p.m. twin bill at Wheaton on Monday, March 29.