GAME ONE BOX | GAME TWO BOX
ABERDEEN, S.D. – No. 22 Augustana picked up its first conference win of the season against Northern State on Saturday, winning 4-3 in extra innings, then fell 5-4 in Game 2.
Augustana improves to 21-4 (1-1 NSIC) while Northern now stands at 10-12 (1-1 NSIC).
Ashley Meyer picked up the win in Game 1 and improves to 10-2 from the circle.
The Vikings managed just two hits until the fourth inning, when
Elizabeth Murray led off with a double to the right-center gap and was replaced by
Elissa Reinsma. Reinsma then moved up on a passed ball, then scored when
Lindsay Spanton hit into a fielder's choice.
Augustana put another score together in the fifth when
Chelsey Durland reached on a single and was replaced by
Erin Kempf. Kempf reached second on
Brittany Coufal's bunt single. Both runner's gained a base on
Chelsi Winskowski's sacrifice bunt while Kempf later scored as
Jenny Brown slapped a hard single into center.
In the top of the sixth,
Jenelle Trautmann reached first and moved to second on a throwing error by Brooke Norris.
Taylor Kapsch replaced Trautmann as a pinch runner and moved to third when Caitlin Moran dropped the ball on a pickoff attempt. Kapsch scored on
Kelsey Kalkman's bunt single.
Northern St. answered in the bottom of the sixth when Brittany Huback reached on a single and scored on an error by
Matley Jones, making it 3-1.
Northern St. tied the game in the bottom of the second on runs by Ashley Gabler and Huback.
Trautmann had her third hit of the day in the top of the eighth as she singled with one out in the inning. She later scored after moving to second on a passed ball and crossing the plate on Durland's single.
Meyer earned one out in the bottom of the eighth before handing the pitching duties over to Durland, who closed out the game with a ground ball and a strikeout to earn the save.
In Game 2, Augustana's
Jenelle Trautmann threw 6.0 innings in the loss, moving her to 9-2 this season.
Augustana scored in the top of the second inning as Spanton singled to left field, stole second base, moved to to third on Durland's groundout and scored when Jones reached on a error by the third baseman.
Northern St. took the lead in the bottom of the third, and Augustana tied it the next half-inning after Spanton walked to start the fourth.
Kalkman followed with another walk and Spanton was tagged out by the shortstop when Durland reached on a fielder's choice, then advanced to second on an error, pushing Kalkman to third. Both runners scored as Jones slapped a single up the middle.
After Nothern St. re-took a 5-3 lead, Augustana could muster only one more run in the game-Trautmann's solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.
Augustana is on the road tomorrow in Bismarck, N.D., to face U-Mary in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
