BOX SCORE

CLERMONT, Fla. – No. 24 Augustana softball scored seven runs in the first two innings on its way to an 11-1 five-inning win over New York Institute of Technology on Wednesday afternoon. The Vikings (13-4) pounded-out a season-high 13 hits and had four players with multiple hits in the game.
 
Sarah Kennedy kept her hit streak alive, extending it to 22 games, going 2 for 4 with a double and three RBI and three runs scored. Jenelle Trautmann was 2 for 3 with a three-run home run, her ninth of the season and 64th career.
 
Trautmann currently ranks third all-time in NCAA Division II with 64 career home runs, putting her 11 shy of second all-time and 15 shy of the Division II record.
 
Caitlin Nichol and Carley Pickett each went 2 for 3 with two singles each.
 
Trautmann won her seventh game of the season to improve to 7-1 striking out seven batters while allowing just one run on three hits.
 
The Vikings jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning that started with a two-RBI single by Kennedy that scored Nichol and Mackenzie Alstott. Nichol singled to lead off the inning and Alstott reached on an error and advanced to second while Nichol moved to third. Kennedy drove them both in and later scored the third run of the inning on an RBI single by Jordan Schaffer.
 
With the bases loaded, Morgan Beaner reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Trautmann to score to give the Vikings a four-run cushion with one out in the first. Maddie Merriam then reached on a fielder's choice but Schaffer and Carly Peterson got caught off the bases and NYIT was able to turn a double play to end the inning.
 
Trautmann made quick work of the Bears in the bottom of the first getting two strikeouts and she gave herself a seven-run advantage with a three-run home run in the top of the second that gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
 
Augustana pushed its lead to 9-0 in the top of the fourth inning after an RBI double by Kennedy scored Alstott and an RBI single by Abby Chandler scored Kennedy.
 
Trautmann held NYIT scoreless through three innings before NYIT broke through with three hits in the bottom of the fourth to score a run and cut the Vikings' lead to eight at 9-1.
 
The Vikings answered right back in the top of the fifth getting a pinch-hit two-run home run from Kylie Rome, the first of her career, that gave Augustana an 11-1 lead.
 
Pickett closed the door shut in the bottom of the fifth, striking out two batters to give Augustana its sixth win of the trip.
 
Augustana will take on Saint Michael's at 2 p.m. (CT) in its final game of the eight-game trip.