ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings softball team boasted 24 runs, 28 hits, and seven extra-base hits across two games on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep over the Wheaton Thunder. Augustana won game one in six innings by a score of 12-4 before taking the finale in five innings by a final of 12-3.

In game one, Wheaton held the early advantage after a home run in the second and a three-spot in the top of the third. The Vikings responded in a big way in the bottom half of third, putting up eight runs to flip the momentum in their favor. The team posted seven hits in the frame, with Alaina Diaz knocking home the first run with an RBI single after a leadoff double and a walk put runners on. Two batters later, Aubrey Gradin cut the deficit to two with a sac fly before an infield single from Anna Maciejewski trimmed the gap to one. Moments later, Emily Gad connected on a two-run single to put the Vikings in the lead. Teagan Nees and Alexis Duke followed with run-scoring hits to complete the eight-run inning.

Nees contributed another run for the Vikings in the ensuing inning with an RBI single to make it a 9-4 game. Following a scoreless fifth both way, Augie walked off the game with a three-spot in the sixth. An RBI double from Duke gave the team its 10th tally of the game before an error brought in the final two scores.

As a a team, Augie notched 17 hits in the win, led by Duke's three doubles and Maciejewski's 3-4 effort. Lauren Koster earned the win on the mound. 

In game two, the Vikings struck quickly with a pair of scores in their opening at-bat. Following a single and a walk to start the game, the Thunder threatened to get out of the jam after retiring the next two batters. Gradin brought in the first run with a two-single up the inning, with McKensey Stontz then crossing home plate via a wild pitch. 

Augustana continued to dominate offensively with another three runs in the second. Maciejewski got things started with a leadoff double and eventually came in to score all on her own thanks to a passed ball and wild pitch. Stontz capped off the inning with a two-run home run to move the lead for the Vikings out to 5-0. The team broke things open in the third, plating six on six hits and two Wheaton errors. Duke, Stontz, and Diaz collected three straight RBI hits to account for the first five runs, while Emma Schmidt sent in the final of the frame with a two-out single. Lilli Burton's sac fly in the fifth made it two straight games with 12 runs and the team ended it via run rule in the bottom half of the fifth.

Duke, Stontz, and Schmidt led the two with two hits apiece, while Mikaylin Hofer secured the victory on the mound.

With the victories, Augustana improves to 15-3 overall and 4-2 in the CCIW. The team will be back in action Saturday to host No. 23 UW-Whitewater.