PEORIA, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings softball team began its 2025 season on Thursday with a pair of victories in Peoria. Augie knocked off the No. 23 ranked UW-Stevens Point Pointers by a score of 7-4 before defeating the Mount Mary Blue Angels by a final of 15-1.

In the opener vs. the Pointers, the Vikings faced a 3-0 deficit after allowing a run in each of the first three innings. The Augie offense woke up in the bottom half of the third, plating four runs to take the lead. Alexis Duke began the rally with a leadoff double and came in to score the next at-bat on a double by McKensey Stontz. Two batters later, Alaina Diaz brought in a pair of runs with a single to left field. Haley Nelson sent in the go-ahead run with an RBI bunt to make it a 4-3 game after three innings of play.

Following a scoreless fourth, the Pointers drew even with a run in the top half of the fifth. Augustana answered with another big inning, this time putting up three runs in the bottom half to go out in front 7-4. A walk and an error put two Vikings on to begin the inning before Nelson collected her second RBI off a bunted ball to move Augie back into the lead. Two more runs came in on the second Stevens Point error of the inning. 

Lauren Koster battled through a pair of base runners to close out the final two innings and earned the win on the mound after going the distance. As a team, the Vikings notched seven hits, led by two from Diaz.

In game two vs. Mount Mary, the two teams played to a scoreless opening inning before the Vikings erupted for five runs in the second. A walk and a single put two runners on to start the frame. Lilli Burton connected on an RBI single for the game's first score before Duke's batted ball accounted for the next two. Consecutive two-out RBI hits from Diaz and Mikaylin Hofer capped off the five-run inning.

Mount Mary earned a run back in the bottom of third, scratching one across without the benefit of a hit. Augie manufactured that run back in the ensuing at-bat, seeing an Abby Hironimus bunt single come all the way around to score after a stolen base and wild pitch. Later in the inning, the Vikings put three base runners on with two outs and Burton sent them all home with a triple to right field. Emma Schmidt's single during the next at-bat gave the team its 10th run of the contest and a nine-run advantage after four innings of action.

In the fifth, the first three Vikings reached base before an Allison Roessler sac fly extended the differential out to 10 runs. Jenna Becker notched an RBI later in the inning after being hit by a pitch and a wild pitch pushed the lead out to 13-1. The scoring onslaught continued as Hailey Pedersen connected on a two-run double to make it a 15-1 cushion. Jordan Faust pitched a scoreless bottom half to complete the win by run rule for the Vikings.

As a team, the Vikings racked up 16 hits, led by three from Anna Maciejewski. Three others collected multi-hit performances in the win, with Burton posting a game-high four runs batted in. Augustana did not allow a hit between three pitchers used.

With the wins, Augie is 2-0 for the first time since 2021. The team will be back in action tomorrow to face Edgewood and Knox.