BOX SCORE ROCHESTER, Minn. – Augustana suffered its first loss of the NSIC double-elimination softball tournament with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Minnesota Duluth. The Vikings continue their season with a 31-14 record and Minnesota Duluth moves on to the semifinals with a 41-11 record.
Jenelle Trautmann was saddled with the loss to drop her record to 25-10.
Carley Pickett threw four innings of shutout softball with five strikeouts.
Erin Kempf led the Vikings offense with a pair of base hits.
After holding Augustana scoreless in the first two innings, Minnesota Duluth opened the scoring with a three-run second inning. A pair of singles preceded a ground-rule double from Ashley Schilling to score one. UMD's No. 9, Maddie Bilse, hitter cleared the bases to make the score 3-0 with a double to left field.
Carly Peterson led the Viking response with a solo home run to left field to lead off the third inning. Just a few pitches later, Augustana was within one run when
Theresa McMahon cranked out a deep opposite field home run.
Jenny Brown nearly kept the home run streak alive, but her double fell a few feet short but kept the pressure on the Bulldogs. UMD's starting pitcher, Julia Nealer, then squelched the Vikings chances of putting up a big inning with three straight outs. Trautmann was retired in a nine-pitch at bat, and
Emily Heinz nearly beat out a bunt attempt.
The Bulldogs were quick to answer with a solo home run to left field and a run scoring single, giving UMD a 5-2 margin. Pickett came on to relieve Trautmann and closed the Bulldogs third inning.
Neither team was able to push a run across in the next two innings, although each team did threaten. Pickett and UMD reliever, Cayli Sadler, held the teams to just two hits each in the fourth and fifth innings. Kempf was throws out at the plate on a
Carly Peterson single to end the fourth inning.
Chelsi Winskowski walked and Pickett was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth, but the Vikings couldn't put a dent in the Minnesota Duluth lead. Pickett continued to shut down the Bulldogs to keep the Augustana comeback chances alive.
Sadler squelched any comeback attempt when the Vikings went down in order in the top of the seventh to seal the 5-2 win for Minnesota Duluth.
The Vikings will face Wayne State at 6:30 p.m. to stay alive in the NSIC Tournament.
