WAVERLY, Iowa -- The Augustana Vikings softball team fell to the No. 15 Wartburg Knights on Monday in the regular season finale. In game one, the Vikings were defeated 6-1 before falling short in game two by a score of 5-4.
GAME ONE
Wartburg struck first in the opening inning to take an early lead. Both teams held steady until the bottom of the fourth, when the Knights added another run to go up 2-0.
In the top of the sixth, Alaina Diaz singled up the middle and advanced to third on a double by A'Rion Lonergan. Olivia Osborne then singled to drive in Diaz, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Knights answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead to 6-1. Augie was held scoreless in the seventh as Wartburg secured the win.
The Vikings out-hit the Knights 9-5, with Osborne leading with two apiece and batted one run in. On the mound,
Mya Brown pitched 5.1 innings with 114 pitches and four strikeouts.
Lauren Koster closed the game in the circle with 0.2 innings with 10 pitches in two at-bats.
GAME TWO
Augie held Wartburg to just three batters in the first inning. In the top of the second,
Addie Garr singled down the left field line, and Osborne followed with a double to right.
Marley Behm then singled to center, driving in both runners to give Augie a 2–0 lead.
The Knights responded with four in the bottom of the inning to overtake the game 4-2. In the fourth, Behm doubled to right center and later scored on a single by
Alexis Duke, cutting the deficit to 4–3. Both teams showed a strong defense over the next two innings before the Knights tallied another run in the sixth to lead 5-3.Â
In the seventh, Duke doubled to left field, andÂ
Emily Gad singled to move her to third.
Lindsay LaVine entered the game to run for Gad, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Wartburg, allowing Duke to cross home plate and close the difference to 5-4. The Vikings were unable to capitalize with a runner on base to close the game 5-4.
The Vikings out-hit the Knights once again with a 9-4 margin. Duke and Garr led the team with two hits apiece, while Behm batted in two runs. Garr earned the win on the mound after pitching six innings for 95 pitches and four strikeouts.Â
With the two losses, Augie moves to 19-20 on the season and will be back in action on May 7 for their first game in the CCIW Tournament against the No. 6-seeded North Park.
