ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings softball team split a pair of non-conference games on the Thursday with the visiting Dubuque Spartans, winning game one by a score of 3-2 in eight innings before dropping the finale 4-3 in eight innings.

Game One (W 3-2, 8 inn.)

Both pitchers settled in from the beginning to start the day, each pitching four scoreless innings to kick things off. A two-out, two-run home run in the top of the fifth gave the Spartans the lead, taking the 2-0 margin into the bottom of the sixth. Augie got one back in their half of the sixth, scoring a run on an RBI single from Claudia Buchholz with the bases loaded. The Spartans got out of the jam, tagging out two Augie runners on the play and forcing a groundout in the ensuing at-bat. 

Trailing 2-1, Augustana evened the score in the bottom of the seventh to force extras. Emily Gad led the comeback effort with a leadoff single, eventually coming into score on a two-out single from Meghan Nixon. In the next at-bat, Nadia Ranieri sent a single into left field, but the Spartans threw out the winning run at home play to keep the score at 2-2 heading into the eighth.

Augustana kept Dubuque off the board in the first at-bat of extras, setting up their walk-off opportunity in the bottom half. With a runner placed on second to begin each at-bat, a sacrifice bunt moved Ranieri to third with just one out. Lauren Koster ended the game with a sacrifice fly to follow, securing the 3-2 win for Augustana.

The Vikings out-hit the Spartans 10-3 in the win, led by three from Ranieri and two from Buchholz. Koster earned the win on the mound, going eight innings and striking out three. She did not allow a walk.

Game Two (L 4-3, 8 inn.)

In the second half of the doubleheader, Dubuque got on the board first with a home run for the second consecutive game, sending a solo shot over the fence in the second inning. Ashlyn Mathers evened the game at one run apiece in the fourth, connecting on a run-producing single with two outs. The Spartans quickly earned the run back in the fifth to make it 2-1 in favor of the visitors. 

Augustana answered the fifth-inning run with one of their own in the bottom half of the frame, using a Jennica Soliz single to scoring Kennedy Williams. The two teams traded scoreless sixth and seventh innings to bring the game to extras once again.

Dubuque scored two in their at-bat in the eighth, capitalizing on two Augie errors to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom half. Nixon brought the Vikings within one run with a single down the left field line, but runners ended up being left on second and third as Dubuque escaped with the 4-3 victory.

The Vikings out-hit the Spartans 9-8 in game two, led by two from Soliz, Williams, and Nixon. Amanda Page struck out three in five innings of relief.

Augustana now sits at 11-13 on the season with the spilt. The team will resume conference play on Saturday, April 15 when they travel to Elmhurst to take on the Bluejays in a doubleheader. Start time for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.