Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
The Augustana softball team combined for 18 runs on 23 hits in a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference wins over the Northern State Wolves Friday afternoon at Bowden Field.
The Vikings beat the Wolves 9-4 and 9-1 to improve to 17-17 this season, while going 8-1 in the NSIC. Northern State now sits at 3-22 this season and has yet to earn an NSIC win at 0-10.
Game 1
Augustana got off to a hot start, scoring runs in the first three innings of the game and followed it with a second 3-run inning to earn a 9-4 win.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, starting pitcher
Britt Stewart drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. After a wild pitch put runners on second and third,
Erin Bohlmann drove in a pair of RBI on a double to right to make it a 3-0 game.
In the next inning,
Kelsey Kalkman led off with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a
Kayla Henke sacrifice fly to center.
The Wolves cut the lead in half with a 2-run home run in the top half of the third, but Augustana responded with a second three run inning in the bottom half of the inning.
With two down and a runner on first, Bohlman, Kalkman and
Elizabeth Murray hit consecutive singles to score a quick 4 runs to make it a 7-2 game heading into the fourth.
After another run from the Vikings in the bottom of the fourth, Northern State put together a 2-run fifth to bring the game to 7-4, but that was as close as Stewart (4-5) let the Wolves get to earn the win.
Stewart recorded her seventh complete game of the season, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits while striking out 9 batters.
Bowman and Kalkman both went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Eight out of nine batters scored for Augie in the game, while four had multi-hit games.
Game 2
Behind a 6-hit performance from senior pitcher
Kelly Ottis, Augustana pounded out 9 runs on 14 hits to win 9-1 in 6 innings in the second game of the doubleheader.
Ottis (4-6) went the distance for the seventh time this season to pick up the win, after giving up just 1 run, while striking out 1 batter.
The Vikings put together 2 runs on 3 hits in the bottom of the third inning when Wolner led off with a double and was followed by a
Ally Rutherford single.
Rutherford then stole second before
Traci Fransen drove in both runners on a sing to left field to take a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth.
Augustana added another run in the fifth inning before scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the sixth to put an end to the game.
With two down in the bottom of the sixth, the Vikings scored 3 runs on 4 consecutive hits to make it a 7-1 game to set up the game-ending hit.
With a runner on first base, Stewart sent the Northern State offering over the fence in right center to end the game on a walk-off home run.
Offensively in the second game, Stewart went 2-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBI and 1 run scored while Fransen had a 3-for-4 performance at the plate that included a home run, 4 RBI and a run scored.
The Vikings will be back in action in a doubleheader against the University of Mary Saturday at noon at Bowden Field.
