ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings softball team swept the Monmouth Fighting Scots on Tuesday, winning game one by a final of 8-3 before taking the finale by a score of 5-1.
In game one, Augustana put up a pair of three-spots for the early 6-0 lead. A sacrifice fly in the opening frame by
Ashlyn Mathers starting the scoring output for Augie, followed by a double steal that resulted in
Jennica Soliz crossing home plate. An error by Monmouth was responsible for the third and final run of the first for the Vikings. In the second, Augustana added onto to its advantage after a pair of run-scoring singles from
Nadia Ranieri and
Claudia Buchholz before
Olivia Blood walked with the bases loaded to push the margin out to six. The Scots answered in the top half of the third with three runs of their own to cut the differential in half.
The fourth inning served as the first scoreless frame of the contest, but the Vikings picked up it back up in the fifth with a two-run home run from
McKensey Stontz.
Mikaylin Hofer put up a zero on the mound to close out game one with an 8-3 final in favor of Augie. Ranieri earned the victory after striking out 10 in six innings. Her and Stontz also led the team with two hits apiece.
Lauren Koster got the nod on the mound in game two, bouncing back from leadoff singles in each of the first two innings with three straight outs to keep the Scots of the board. After she struck out the side in the third, the Vikings earned the game's first runs in the bottom half, seeing a two-out, two-run single from Stontz give the team a 2-0 advantage. The Fighting Scots cut the margin in half in the fifth, scratching a run across after an error from the Vikings.Â
Augustana answered with a three-run showing in the bottom half of the fifth, jump-started by an RBI single from Stontz. A sac fly from Buchholz extended the gap to three before a bases-loaded walk to
Emily Gad moved the score to 5-1. Koster secured the complete-game win after pitching out of a jam in the seventh to wrap up the 5-1 victory.
Stontz and Mathers led the team with two hits each in game two.
With the wins, Augustana improves to 11-7 on the season. The team will be back in action Friday at North Park.
