DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Augustana Vikings softball team kicked off their 2023 season on Sunday, splitting a neutral-site doubleheader with the Culver-Stockton Wildcats. The Vikings won game one by a final of 8-0 before dropping the second contest by a score of 10-0.
Game One (W 8-0)
It did not take long for the Vikings to get on the board in the opener as
Nadia Ranieri batted in
Ashlyn Mathers for the game's first score. A
Meghan Nixon run-scoring single in the second quickly doubled the Augie advantage as Ranieri continued to dominate on the mound. The senior went the first three innings without allowing a hit as the Vikings' offense continued to build upon their lead. In the fourth, Augustana broke it open with a four spot, seeing an RBI from
Olivia Blood and two from Mathers.Â
The Vikings added two more in the sixth to end the game by run rule. Ranieri capped off her two-way effort with an RBI double to bring in the final two runs. On the mound, she did not allow a run and struck out six.
Augustana out-hit Culver-Stockton 13-3. Five different Vikings secured multi-hit performances.
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Game Two (L 10-0)
The script was flipped in the latter half of the doubleheader, with the Wildcats grabbing a run in the first before adding on with three in the fourth. The Vikings mustered just two hits in the game, one from
Emily Gad and
Ellie Jahn. The Wildcats closed out the game with six runs in the sixth inning.
Lauren Koster struck out six on the mound for Augustana.
The Vikings are back in action on Thursday, February 23 at the Mount Mary Slugger Series in Peoria, Ill. Augie will face Dominican and Mount Mary to kick off the invitational.
