WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Augustana Vikings baseball team was defeated in walk-off fashion in its final game down in Florida on Tuesday, falling to the Kalamazoo Hornets by a score of 6-5.

The Hornets struck first with a two-spot in the opening frame and held a 2-0 advantage for the first three innings until a balk sent in the Vikings' first tally in the top of the fourth. Augie got the bats going during the ensuing at-bat, posting four hits to scratch across two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Colton Davis started the rally with a leadoff single before a ground-rule double from Riley Hendren put runners on second and third with one out. Grant Biggins connected on a base hit to left center to bring in both Vikings on the base pads and bring a 3-2 lead for the team into the bottom half. Kalamazoo answered with two runs of its own to maintain a 4-3 advantage after five complete. 

The two teams played a scoreless sixth, but Augustana reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run home run from Hendren. Ryan Coon kicked off the inning with a leadoff single and was followed by Hendren's first big fly of the season to left field. Augie pitched out of a double in the bottom of the frame and a single in the eighth to take a one-run margin into the ninth.
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In the bottom of the ninth, the Hornets quickly loaded the bases with no outs following an error and back-to-back singles. The Vikings induced a double play via lineout to halt the momentum, but a two-out single up the middle brought in the game-winning runs. 

Hendren led Augustana with three hits in the game, followed by two from Kaileb Hackman. 

With the loss, the Vikings drop to 8-7 on the season. The team will be back in action Thursday vs. Monmouth.