BOX SCORE

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 23 Augustana College softball scored nine runs in the top of the fourth inning on its way to a 17-8 win in five innings over Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday afternoon. Augustana finished the weekend 4-1 at the Huskydome Classic in St. Cloud, Minn., improving its season record to 7-3. Nebraska-Kearney dropped to 0-9 in the loss.
 
Augustana scored in all five innings, including scoring four in the top of the first inning before breaking loose with nine runs in the top of the fourth. The Lopers answered the Vikings' nine-run inning with five runs in the bottom of the fourth but the Vikings added two more in the top of the fifth and won by the eight-run rule.
 
Eight different players had at least one of Augustana's 11 hits, led by Sarah Kennedy, Jenelle Trautmann and Karlee Koopman who all had two hits.
 
Kennedy finished 2 for 3 at the plate with a triple, a double and two RBI. Kennedy was hit by a pitch twice in the game and also scored two runs.
 
Trautmann finished 2 for 2 with a three-run home run while scoring three runs. Trautmann's home run was her fifth of the season and 60th of her career. She becomes just the sixth player in NCAA Division II history with 60 or more career home runs and is two shy of tying two other players for second all-time in Division II history.
 
Karlee Koopman (3-0) won her third game of the season in the circle, tossing 4.2 innings while allowing three unearned runs on six hits. Koopman also had a great day at the plate going 2 for 2 with a double and a career-high three RBI.
 
Augustana jumped out the gates quickly taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Morgan Beaner drove in the first run of the game with a bases loaded walk before Jordan Schaffer made it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly. With two outs in the inning, Koopman drove in two more with a double helping out her own cause and giving herself a four-run cushion before throwing her first pitch.
 
Koopman pitched around back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the first and the Vikings answered with a run to take a 5-0 lead on an RBI double by Kennedy in the top of the second.
 
Nebraska-Kearney left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning and the Vikings added another run in the top of the third when Maddie Merriam scored on an error by the Lopers catcher to make the score 6-0.
 
The Lopers broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the third inning score two runs on two hits and one Augustana error to make the score 6-2.
 
The Vikings responded in a big way scoring nine runs on four hits in the top of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 15-2. The rally started when Koopman walked with the bases loaded to drive in a run. Caitlin Nichol drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Carly Peterson followed with a two-RBI double. Later in the inning, Trautmann blasted her fifth home run of the season to drive in three more runs and Schaffer drove in another with an RBI double.
 
Nebraska-Kearney answered with a five-run bottom of the fourth inning to get within eight at 15-7. Augustana added two more in the top of the fifth after an RBI triple by Kennedy and an RBI pinch-hit single by Maggie Kadrlik that made the score 17-7. The Lopers added a run in the bottom of the fifth but it would not be enough as the Vikings would win by the eight-run rule 17-8.
 
After playing its 10th game in as many days, Augustana will now have 20 days off before traveling to Clermont, Fla. for its annual spring trip. The Vikings will play eight games in four days from March 15-18, starting with Dominican (N.Y.) on Sunday, March 15.