BOX SCORE

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Augustana baseball team got its ninth straight win with a 6-5 victory over Mayville State on Wednesday at the Kino Sports Complex. The Vikings' record now stands at 9-6 on the year, while the Comets dropped to 13-10 with the loss.

Augustana wrapped up the trip down south with a perfect 9-0 record over the course of the last six days, which included wins over fellow Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foes Bemidji State, Southwest Minnesota State, and Concordia-St. Paul.

The Vikings finished the contest with six runs on 13 hits, making it five straight games that they have put up at least 10 hits at the plate.

Senior Troy Pilkington (1-0) picked up the first victory of his career, coming in late and taking control on the hill. The right-hander went 1.1 innings on the mound, giving up no runs on just one hit. He also ended the day with season-high two strikeouts.

Alex Fink led the Augustana with three hits in the game, his fourth game in the last five with at least two. The junior really found his swing down in Arizona, finishing the nine-game trip with a .438 batting average (14 for 32) after battling a sluggish start early on to begin the year.

Jack Goihl went 2 for 4 at the plate and drove in a team-leading two RBI in the win, upping his total on the year now to 11, second on the team behind Patrick Fiala's 14.

The Vikings were able to make it a two-run game at 5-3, their largest lead, in the bottom of the seventh inning with a Kris Ashland double to left field that scored Lucas Barry.

MSU answered back the following inning, scoring two in the top half of the eighth to tie things up at five all. Maryville State's Darin Stanislawski's double to center field brought in the runner from second base with two outs.

A clutch single to center field by Goihl turned out to be the difference in the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Robbinsdale, Minn. native was able to make good contact on a pitch with the count full that brought in Marcus O'Neill and gave Augustana the one-run lead, something it never relinquished the rest of the way.

Pilkington's work late offered no chance of a comeback for the Comets in the top of the ninth, giving the Vikings the win.

Augustana is back in action with its home-opening series this upcoming weekend. The Vikings will take on Northern State in a four-game series beginning on Friday at 1 p.m. at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field.