GAME 1 BOX
GAME 2 BOX
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Minnesota State's Amanda Umhoefer homered in the top of the eighth to lift her team to a 5-4 victory over Augustana Saturday afternoon in the final contest of a three-game series at the Super Regional in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Mavericks defeated the Vikings 3-1 earlier in the day to force the third game. The losses end Augustana's season.
MSU will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals in Salem, Va., where the Mavericks will face Midwestern.
Augustana finishes its season with a record of 50-11.
Umhoefer's homer in extra innings was the finishing touches on an MSU rally. The Mavericks trailed 3-1 heading into the seventh, but they unloaded three runs to take a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the frame. The Vikings scored one to send the game to extra innings, but following Umhoefer's bomb, they couldn't get another across in the eighth.
MSU's three runs in the seventh came on our four hits, including a double by Natalie Spicer.
The Vikings held a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth after
Lindsay Spanton belted a three-run home run in the opening inning. MSU, though, found one run in the fifth before mounting their game-changing effort in the seventh.
Spicer finished 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Mavericks.
Courtney McKelvogue went 7.0 innings and struck out four. Kendra Huettl finished the final inning to notch her third save of the season.
Spanton led the Vikings with her three RBIs.
Ashley Meyer, who threw every inning for the Vikings in this best-of-three series, tossed all 8.0 and struck out four.
The final game of the series was the result of MSU winning 3-1 in the day's opening game.
Brittany Coufal drove in Augustana's lone run of the game and finished 2 for 3.
Meyer again went a complete game, allowing seven hits and striking out five.
Abby Sonner's 2-for-3, two-RBI outing paced the Mavericks.
McKelvogue allowed just four hits in a complete-game effort.
MSU scored two runs in the sixth to break away from a 1-1 tie in the tilt.
Augustana defeated MSU 4-0 yesterday and needed one win today to punch its ticket to the NCAA Finals. The Vikings haven't advanced that far since 1998.
The 50 wins by Augustana this season is the most since 2000 when the Vikings finished 58-12.
