BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS: GRETTA MELSTED | ASHLEY MEYER | THERESA MCMAHON
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 2 seed Augustana clinched a berth into the Super Regional with a 2-0 victory over No. 3 seed Winona State in nine innings on Sunday.
This is the second-straight year the Vikings will play in the Super Regional. Prior to last season, the Vikings' previous Super Regional appearance was in 2000.
Augustana, which is ranked No. 16 nationally, has shut out WSU (ranked No. 15 nationally) twice this season.
The Vikings improve to 51-10 while WSU drops to 44-12.
Theresa McMahon came up big for the Vikings in the championship game with a 2 for 4 performance that included the game-winning double.
From the circle,
Jenelle Trautmann,
Chelsey Durland and
Ashley Meyer combined to hold WSU scoreless. Trautmann started the game and threw 4.1 innings and allowed just one hit. Durland (6-1) threw the next 3.2 innings and limited WSU to only one hit while picking up the victory. Meyer threw the final inning and retired all three batters she faced to earn her first save of the season.
Augustana's offense threatened throughout the game but was stifled and left eight runners on base before the ninth inning.
In the ninth,
Kelsey Kalkman led off with a walk and moved to second after
Matley Jones was hit by a pitch.
Chelsi Winskowski then drew a walk to load the bases. With one out, McMahon wasted no time and drove the first pitch she saw past a diving third baseman to push two runners across the plate.
Augustana is in the midst of its 21st postseason appearance and will host No. 5 seed Concordia, St. Paul next weekend in the Super Regional.
