CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Augustana Vikings softball team dropped two games on Thursday. The Vikings fell 8-6 in extra innings against Middlebury Panthers before an 8-3 loss to the Colby Mules in game two.
Game One
After four scoreless innings, Augie struck first in the bottom of the fifth after
Lilli Burton was walked and moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by
Marley Behm.
Alexis Duke brought her home after a single to the outfield to take the lead.
Middlebury snatched the advantage in the following inning to create a 2-1 score. The Vikings followed to draw the score even at 2-2.
A'rion Lonergan got on base after being walked before heading to second on a single by
Emma Evans. Both runs moved up on a wild pitch with Burton in the box, who batted Lonergan in on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Both teams held each other scoreless to force extra innings, where the Panthers found huge momentum and scored six. The Vikings responded, starting with
Alaina Diaz, who was walked to put two on the bases. Lonergan scored
Aubrey Gradin, who was the go-ahead runner, and moved Diaz's pinch runner,
Maya Viel, to third. The Panthers walked Evans to load the bases and bring up Burton, who brought home Viel on a fielder's choice and moved the game 8-4. Augie loaded the bases once again after
Addie Garr was hit before Aleix Duke sailed one into left field to score two. The Vikings were unable to execute in the third bases-loaded situation, allowing Middlebury to take the game 8-6.
Five Vikings collected hits, with Duke leading with two and batting in three runs. On the mound,
Mya Brown pitched 102 pitches in seven innings with six strikeouts.
Game Two
Augie quickly grabbed the lead against Colby after
Emma Schmidt was walked and rounded all the bases on wild pitches in the top of the first. Both teams produced quick innings until the bottom of the third when Colby scored three to overtake the upper hand. The Mules grabbed two more in the following inning to stretch the gap to 5-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Colby tallied two more runs on the scoreboard. The Vikings scored two at the top of the seventh.
Lindsay LaVine kicked off the inning with a single, and Duke followed with a single to left. With two runners on,
Emma Schmidt reached on a fielder's choice to bring up Gradin, who singled down the right field line to allow Duke to cross home plate. Schmidt scored on the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly to conclude the game 8-3.
Six Vikings secured hits, with Gradin leading with two. On the mound, Garr pitched four innings with four strikeouts.
With the two losses, Augie moves to 2-7 on the season and will be back in action for the final two games of spring break against North Central (Minn.) and Middlebury.
