MOLINE, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings baseball team won a high-scoring battle with the Knox Prairie Fire on Thursday by a score of 16-7.

The Vikings struck first with a four-spot in their opening at-bat, beginning with a pair of runs off of a fielder's choice and an error. Colton Davis added two more to the early total with a single to left field to make it a 4-0 lead for Augie exiting the first. A double steal in the second and a wild pitch in the third accounted for the next two tallies as the Vikings saw a 6-0 margin entering the fourth.

Knox got two back in the fourth, but was met by six from Augustana in the fifth. After an error and hit batter brought in the first two scores, Dymitri Kanellakis cleared the bases with a three-run double and later crossed home plate after a bases-loaded walk was issued to Ryan Theile. The Praire Fire added three in the sixth and one in the seventh to avoid the run rule and extend the game. A fielder's choice by Cole Green and groundout from Grant Biggins each resulted in runs scored in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 14-6 entering the eighth.

Each team scored in the eighth, with Knox plating one in the top half to cut the differential to seven. A bases-loaded balk and walk accounted for the final two runs of the game for Augie, with a scoreless ninth to follow to complete the 16-7 final.

The Vikings had eight hits in the win, led by Kanellakis and Davis each with two. 

With the win, Augustana improves to 18-15 on the season. The team will be back in action this weekend for a three-game series at Carthage.