NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings softball team earned its fourth consecutive CCIW sweep on Saturday, defeating the North Central Cardinals by scores of 7-5 and 7-3. It is the first sweep over North Central since the 2021 season.
In game one, the two teams found themselves scoreless after the first two innings of action. The Vikings struck first in the top of the third, seeing a
Marley Behm leadoff double come into score after
McKensey Stontz sent her across home plate with a single two batters later.
Lauren Koster worked around a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half to keep the 1-0 lead for Augie intact through three complete.
Another scoreless frame ensued before the Vikings tallied one more to their total in the fifth on an
Alaina Diaz double that brought in
Alexis Duke. Augustana broke things open with a five-spot in the six, seeing the first come in on an RBI single from Duke. Another Diaz run-scoring hit followed before the team's fifth run crossed home plate via an error.
Aubrey Gradin's RBI single sent home the next tally and
Emma Evans closed out the frame with a sac fly to create a 7-0 advantage. North Central answered with four runs in the bottom half to inch closer. The Cardinals got within two in the seventh and had the game-tying run at the plate twice, but Koster collected a strikeout and a flyout to end the game.
The Vikings notched 10 hits in the win and were led by Duke and Diaz each with two.
North Central was the first to score in game two and threatened for a big inning in the top of the first, but a double play got the Vikings out of a bases-loaded situation with just one run allowed. Augie countered with a three-run frame in the bottom half, beginning with a two-run double by Gradin down the left-field line.
Mikaylin Hofer's base hit to right gave the team a 3-1 advantage exiting the first.
The Cardinals scored once in each of the second and third innings to even the game at three apiece, followed by zeroes both ways in the fourth. Augustana broke the deadlock with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a bases-loaded walk issued to
Anna Maciejewski for the go-ahead score. Behm was responsible for the next to cross home plate on an RBI groundout before two Vikings came home on a wild pitch. Hofer pitched around a double in the sixth and two base runners in the seventh to close down the game at its 7-3 final.
Four Vikings had multiple hits in the win, led by Hofer's 3-4 performance. Hofer also earned the win on the mound with just two earned runs allowed.
With the victories, Augustana improves to 22-6 overall and 10-2 in the CCIW. The team will be back in action Tuesday for a non-conference road matchup at Monmouth.
