ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings softball team fell twice in a doubleheader with the Wartburg Knights on Thursday, dropping game one by a score of 11-5 and game two by a final of 11-3.

After a scoreless opening frame, the Knights put up multiple runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to bring a 7-0 lead into a weather delay in the fourth. The Vikings came out of the break with a three-spot in the bottom half, beginning with a bases-loaded single from Teagan Nees for the first run. Two batters later, Alexis Duke brought in a pair of runs with her single to right-center to cut the deficit to just four a 7-3. 

The two teams put up zeroes in each of the fifth and sixth inning before Wartburg pulled away with four more in the top half of the seventh. Alaina Diaz and Emma Evans each tallied an RBI in the bottom half, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Duke, Nees, and Aubrey Gradin each had two hits for the team in game one.

Following a score from the Knights to begin game two, Duke kicked off Augie's opening at-bat with a leadoff home run to even things at 1-1. The Vikings added another in the bottom of the first, seeing an RBI fielder's choice from Evans give Augustana its first lead of the day. McKensey Stontz added to the differential in the following frame, sending a single down the line to send home Meghan Nixon and create a 3-1 advantage. Wartburg answered with three in the fourth to regain the lead.

The 4-3 score in favor of the Knights remained intact until the visitors added seven in the top of the sixth to enter run-rule territory. The Vikings did not push any across in the bottom half to end the game at its 11-3 final.

Duke, Stontz, and Gradin all had a pair of base hits to lead the Vikings.

With the losses, Augustana drops to 22-8 overall. The team will be back in action Saturday for a Senior Day doubleheader vs. North Park.