Box ScoreThe Augustana baseball team dropped a 14-6 non-conference game to Southwest Minnesota State Tuesday afternoon at Ronken Field.
The Vikings fell to 5-18 on the season while SMSU improved to 14-9.
The game was tight until the sixth inning. The Mustangs led 5-4 until they ran off 9 unanswered runs over the final 4 innings to earn the victory.
Southwest Minnesota State struck quickly, scoring 2 runs in the first inning on a 2-run double by Derek West.
But the Vikings knotted the score in the second inning.
Dan Morrison roped an RBI double that scored
Ryan Kessinger. Morrison later scored on a sacrifice fly by
JaColby Anderson.
Lex Reinke put SMSU in front 3-2 with a solo homer in the fourth inning. The Mustangs then scored 2 runs in the fifth inning when Andrew Kinney had a 2-run double.
Again, Augustana responded. In the bottom of the fifth,
Ian Strum blasted a 2-run homer, his third of the year, to close the gap to 5-4.
However, the Mustangs broke open the game with a 5-run sixth inning and a 3-run seventh inning.
The Vikings collected 12 hits on the afternoon.
Tom Hill led the way with 3 hits and 2 runs scored, while Strum had a double to go with his home run. He scored once and had 2 RBI.
Augie starting pitcher
Bret Severtson was tagged with the loss. He lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits.
The two teams will play another 9-inning game on Wednesday, but this time it will be played in Marshall, Minn. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
