Box Score
The Augustana baseball team completed its trip to the RussMatt Invitational with a 9-6 win over Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Wednesday in Auburndale, Fla. The Vikings went 5-2 at the invitational and improved their season record to 10-9.
UMC scored early, posting two runs in the top of the first. Erik Nockleby scored when P.J. Zwach scored on a fielding error, and Teddy Gutman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Devin Croal.
Augie posted three runs of its own in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead.
Charlie Dubanoski doubled to score
Nate Baumann from second, and the following batter,
Nate Alfson, doubled to score Dubanoski.
Brian Knight grounded out to score Alfson later in the inning.
The Augustana advantage swelled to 5-2 in the fourth when
Dan Morrison singled home Dubanoski. Two batters later, Knight singled to left center to bring Alfson across the plate.
After posting a run in the fifth, UMC tallied three more in the sixth for a 6-5 lead. Stephan Woods doubled to score Reed Oistad, David Lovly scored on a wild pitch error, and Woods scored on Josh Kraby's sacrifice fly to center.
The Vikings answered with four more in the seventh. Knight scored on
Nate Hewes single to center to tie the score at 6-6. A few batters later, Baumann tripled in
Deryk Marks and
Drew Heithoff and scored on the play as well on an error.
The Viking defense held with “three-up, three-down” innings in the eighth and ninth to secure the 9-6 victory.
Marks picked up his first win of the season, and Severtson came in relief in the ninth for his second save of the year. Ben Lazzari took the loss for UMC.
Knight went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Baumann tallied two RBIs and two runs scored. Dubanoski and Alfson each scored two runs.
The Vikings return home this weekend to face Concordia-St. Paul in a pair of doubleheaders. The Vikings and Golden Bears are scheduled for two on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., and two more on Sunday, with the first pitch at noon.
