MOLINE, Ill. – The Viking baseball team improved their 2022 season record to 8-3 with two victories over the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire. Augustana's bats exploded for 21 total runs in the double-header and clipped the Blugolds by scores of 10-0 and 11-6.
 
The Vikings started the day with a dominant 10-0 win in the first tilt. Augie put up seven unanswered runs in the first three innings on their way to the seven-inning mercy rule. Kyle Campbell started things in the first with a towering ground-rule double to bring Jacob Barker Home. Later, designated hitter Giacomo Fanizza's sac fly brought Alex Simon across for the Vikings' second run.
 
The Augustana barrage continued in the second frame with three RBI on a Matt Helms double and singles from Campbell and Matt Ozanic. Augustana then took a 7-0 lead just an inning later on a Carter Foat two-bagger to score Helms and a Barker single to bring Foat around.
 
Foat eventually delivered again on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Barker followed suit in the seventh with a walk-off two-RBI double to reach the final 10-0 tally.
 
Harrison Boushele had a stellar day on the mound for the Vikings with a complete game shutout. The sophomore Colorado native tossed all seven innings and posted 13 strikeouts with just three hits and two walks given up.
 
Game two was a much more competitive affair with UWEC jumping out to an early lead before the Vikings regained their rhythm. UW-Eau Claire scored two runs in the first inning on an Otto Treichel single. The visitors put another tally on the board in the second on a solo shot home run off the bat of Andrew Murphy.
 
Augie bounced back in their half of the second inning with five runs to recapture the lead. Kyle Wise started the rally with a sacrifice fly followed by a two-run single from Barker. Simon and Ozanic continued the momentum with a pair of singles.
 
After plating four more runs from the third to the fifth innings, Augustana's lead was cut to 9-6 on a two-run blast by Cade Mueller and a double by Nate Witte. The Vikings answered in the home half of the seventh inning with two-run single by Ozanic to reach the final 11-6 margin.
 
Bryce Luckey came on in relief an threw four innings to earn the win for the Vikings. Luckey struck out three and walked three in his appearance. Augustana also featured hurlers Josh Chamberlain, Jacob Reusch, and starter Josh Wintroub.
 
Augustana will travel to Florida for their next competition. The Vikings' second trip south will start on Friday, Mar. 18 against Beloit at the RussMatt Invitational.