DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Augustana Vikings softball team split its final non-conference doubleheader of the season on Wednesday, falling 9-7 in game one before winning the finale by a score of 9-1.
In game one, the Vikings struck first in the top half of the second, seeing back-to-back RBI singles from
Maya Viel and
Brooke Hartzell to give the team a 2-0 lead. Dubuque got one back in its next at-bat, eventually bringing the 2-1 game into the fifth.
A bases-loaded walk issued to
Lauren Durst put Augie back out in front by two in the fifth, but the Spartans claimed their first lead with a three-run home run in the bottom half. The 4-3 advantage for Dubuque did not last long as Augustana put up a four-spot in the sixth to grab a 7-4 differential. With two outs and runners on second and third,
Emily Gad put the Vikings in the lead with a two-run single before a double by
Emma Evans and single by
Meghan Nixon added onto their score. The Spartans tallied one back to cut the deficit to two and eventually walked off the Vikings with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to steal the 9-7 win.
Augie secured 13 hits in game one, led by Gad's 3-3 effort. Four others earned multi-hit efforts.
Gad continued her successful day by driving in the first run of game two for the Vikings. A single to center brought in
Nadia Ranieri for the early 1-0 lead in the opening inning, followed by an RBI hit from
Anna Maciejewski to extend the advantage out to 2-0.
A scoreless second inning both ways ensued prior to Dubuque's first and only tally in the third. Augustana broke the game open with a four-run frame in the fourth, beginning with Ranieri's run-scoring single to push Augie's lead out to 3-1.
McKensey Stontz added on during the next at-bat with a two-run double before
Claudia Buchholz sent home the final run of the inning. Stontz contributed another RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth and
Lilli Burton's two-run double in the sixth moved the Vikings into run-rule territory.
Mikaylin Hofer pitched a scoreless bottom half to end the game at its 9-1 final.
Augustana out-hit Dubuque 12-5 in game two, fueled by two hits each from Buchholz and Stontz. Hofer picked up her third win of the season after going the distance on the mound.
With the split, Augie sits at 22-12 on the season. The team will be back in action Saturday for a doubleheader against first-place Illinois Wesleyan.
