BOX SCORE - GAME 1
BOX SCORE - GAME 2
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Traci Fransen broke No. 1-seeded Augustana away from a 4-4 tie with No. 4-seeded Minnesota State by belting a single to drive in the winning run, allowing the Vikings to earn the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament title with a 5-4 victory over the Mavericks Saturday afternoon at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, S.D.
It is Augustana's first tournament title in the three years the Vikings have been in the league.
No. 13 Minnesota State (48-12) forced No. 8 Augustana (45-8) into a second championship game as MSU first defeated the Vikings 6-3 in the afternoon.
Ashley Meyer,
Lindsay Spanton and Fransen made the All-Tournament team for Augustana.
The Mavericks had a 6-2 win over No. 2-seeded Wayne State in their first game of the day.
It was the second win for Augustana over MSU in the tournament. The Vikings had a 5-0 win over the Mavericks on Friday.
In the final championship game,
Elizabeth Murray slammed a double in the bottom of the sixth with two outs to score two runs, which tied the score 4-4. Fransen then singled to score the winning run.
Chelsi Winskowski and Murray each had two RBIs to help the Vikings to the win. Leading the team with three hits apiece was
Jenny Brown and Fransen.
Chelsey Durland began the game pitching. She threw for 2.2 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs.
The Mavericks had three hits in the second inning to earn the first two runs of the game. Augustana aimed to score runs of its own, but with the bases loaded, Winskowski hit a fly ball to end the inning.
After MSU added two runs in the third, the Vikings made a pitching change, bringing Meyer to the circle. She allowed only 2 hits in 4.1 innings in the circle.
Winskowski slammed her first homer of the season in the bottom of the fourth to put two runs of the scoreboard for the Vikings.
Augustana's three runs in the sixth inning secured the Viking victory.
Meyer pitched the first 6.0 innings of the first game against MSU to record just her fourth loss of the season. She allowed 10 hits and had six strikeouts.
Murray led the team with three hits and two RBIs.
Theresa McMahon opened the bottom of the first with a double to center field. Murray singled to bring McMahon home for the only run of the inning.
MSU tied it up in the fifth inning. A hit to right field got past Taylor Kapsh, scoring Abby Soonner. Augustana then stole a one run lead in the bottom of the inning.
The Mavericks scored four runs on five hits on the sixth inning to take the first comfortable lead of the game. Chelsie Krull pinch ran after Kelly Wood doubled and wound up at home plate on a passed ball. Amanda Umhoefer and Lauryn Morris each had singles to bring in the remaining three runs.
Augustana wasn't able to get its bats hot in the bottom of the inning to make a comeback.
In the seventh inning,
Mickey Anderson went into pitch for Meyer and MSU was only able to add a one run. A throw from Winskowski in centerfield to Murray got Chelsey Erickson out at home to end the inning.
McMahon belted her third home run of the tournament and 16th of the season as the lead-off batter in the bottom of the seventh in an effort for a Viking comeback. Momentum seemed to be swining in Augustana's favor as the Vikings added a pair of hits to follow the homer, but a strike out from
Kelsey Kalkman, a foul out from Durland and a fly out from
Brittany Coufal ended the inning.
Augustana, which was No. 1 in the latest Central Region rankings will now wait to see where it is seeded for the NCAA Touranment. The 64 team field will be announced on Monday via a webcast on NCAA.com at 9 a.m.
