BOX SCORE HILO, Hawaii –
Kye Winter's seventh-inning sacrifice fly knocked in the go-ahead run and Augustana held on to defeat Hawaii-Hilo, 4-3 Friday afternoon. The Vikings improve to 2-4 on the season and the Vulcans begin their 2013 campaign 0-1.
Consecutive singles in the seventh inning set up Winter's game-winning RBI.
Jake Petersen singled through the left side and
David Borchardt stretched his hitting streak to 19 games with a single through the right side pushing Petersen to third before Winter stepped up to the plate. Winter's fly ball to center field was enough for to score the Augustana lead-off hitter to put the Vikings ahead for good.
Winter and
Nate Hewes each knocked in a pair of runs for the Vikings and five Augustana batters racked up two hits.
Bennett Johnson earned his first win of the season after relieving
Jordan Milbrath who put in five innings of work.
Derek Quame tallied his first save of the year, recording the final out with a groundout to third base.
The Vikings struck first with four two-out hits in the first to push across a pair of runs. Winter's single was followed by a Brandon Koistinen single through the left side. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch to move them into scoring position.
Hewes's single to left field scored both runners and the Vikings led 2-0 after Augustana's
Ben Ludwigson grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Each team left a runner on base the next two half-innings before Hawaii-Hilo answered by pushing two runs across in the bottom of the second on a double downt he left field line.
The Vulcans jumped on top, by scoring on a line drive off Milbrath's glove in the bottom half of the fourth inning. The Vikings answered in the fifth after Petersen reached base by being hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a wild pitch.
Winter doubled down the left field line to tie the game at 3-3, pushing Petersen across the plate.
Augustana threatened in the top of the sixth with runners on second and third, but
Zach Dibble grounded into an inning-ending double-play. The Vikings took the lead in the seventh inning off of Winter's sacrifice fly giving the Vikings the cushion they needed.
Johnson surrendered only one hit in his three innings of relief and retired the first two Vulcan batters in the bottom of the ninth before encountering adversity.
Johnson walked the third batter of the ninth inning and hit the next before being replaced by the late-game specialist, Quame. Quame quickly ended Hawaii-Hilo's comeback hopes with a ground ball to third base and the Vikings escaped game one with a 4- victory.
Petersen scored two run to lead the Vikings and the middle infield tandem of Dibble and
Jason Rasmussen recorded a combined nine assists on the defensive side of the ball.
Augustana will play Hawaii-Hilo in the second leg of a doubleheader to open their four-game series with the Vulcans.
