Augustana – NM Highlands Box Score
Augustana – Chadron State Box Score
Down to its last strike, Augustana rallied to score five runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat Chadron State 7-3 to complete a 2-0 day for the Vikings Friday at the Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. Augustana routed New Mexico Highlands 10-2 in its first game of the day.
The Vikings trailed 3-2 entering the top of the seventh inning. After the first two hitters,
Elizabeth Murray blasted a two-strike double off the center field fence to start the rally.
Shelby Thompson then came on to run for Murray.
Traci Fransen was then intentionally walked and
Britt Stewart was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Kelsey Kalkman, who struck out looking with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, blooped a two-run single to right field to give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.
Chelsey Durland followed with a two-run double of her own to increase the Augustana advantage to 6-3. Durland scored when Chadron State second baseman Melissa Lohr dropped a pop fly hit by
Brittany Coufal.
Augustana's late rally thwarted Chadron State's rally in the bottom of the sixth. Jamie Mazankowski lined a one-out single to score Katie Bolin, who led off the inning with a walk.
Each team scored single runs in the first inning. Chadron State took a 2-1 lead in the third inning on an RBI single that scored Nikki Ritzen.
Augustana tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth inning. Stewart, who walked 3 times in addition to being hit by a pitch, led off the inning with a walk. She scored when Durland blooped a single to left field. Bolin tried to throw out Stewart at third base but the throw was wild, allowing Stewart to score.
Durland powered the Vikings' seven-hit attack with 3 hits and 2 RBI. Kalkman also had 2 RBI, while Stewart scored twice.
Ashley Meyer pitched a complete-game 7-hitter in her Augustana debut. Meyer walked 2 and struck out 6.
The Vikings didn't need any late-inning comeback against New Mexico Highlands. Augustana scored in four of the five innings, scoring the last eight runs of the game. The Vikings belted out 10 hits, including three home runs.
Murray got the Vikings started with a two-run blast in the first to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Augustana began to pull away. Leading 4-2, Murray hit an infield single that scored
Kayla Henke. Fransen followed with a two-run blast to put Augie in front 7-2.
Augustana put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Durland belted a two-run homer to make it a 9-2 game.
Taylor Kapsch's infield single that scored Coufal ended the game due to the 8-run mercy rule.
Durland picked up the pitching win by tossing a six-hit complete game. She struck out six and walked two.
Murray and Fransen paced the Viking offense with 3 RBI apiece. Eight of the Viking hitters had hits, with Henke and Murray having two hits each.
Augustana concludes play in the Desert Stinger with three games on Saturday. The Vikings play St. Martin's at noon, Western New Mexico at 2 p.m. and Academy of Art at 6 p.m. All times are Pacific Time.
