MINOT, N.D. – Powered by sophomore Patrick O'Donnell's timely swings, the Augustana baseball team used a potent attack at the plate to pick up two wins at Minot State on Saturday. The Vikings' record improved to 17-12 (8-6 NSIC) with the victories, while the Beavers dropped to 8-17 (5-9 NSIC) this year.

Game One

Augustana set the tone early in a dominant 23-6 win in the first game of the doubleheader.

Bryce Berg turned in a career day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a career-best five RBI.

Marcus O'Neill went 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored in limited duty in center field.

Colton Fast (4-1) racked up his fourth win of the season with four innings of work. The right-hander tied his season high with five strikeouts in the win.

The Vikings got out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Patrick Fiala doubled to right center to score O'Neill, who got on with a walk one batter earlier.

Fast was able shake off a scare in the bottom half of the first by retiring three straight batters after giving up a leadoff double to the Beavers.

A six-run inning to start the second put this game out of reach in favor of Augustana. The Vikings got their six runs on four hits, with Berg's double down the right field line that scored two closing out the big inning at the plate.

Augustana tacked on another seven runs in the top half of the third inning to push its lead to 14. Berg highlighted the inning with a two-RBI single, upping his total to four in the game, a new career high for the senior. O'Donnell also smacked his second home run of the year with a solo shot earlier in the inning.

The Beavers broke through in the bottom of the third to score two runs, ending Fast's bid for the shutout win.

The Vikings scored two more runs in the top of the fourth after some fielding issues by Minot State made it 16-2.

Some more fielding issues by the Beavers allowed for Augustana roll up another four runs in the top of the 5th, making it 20-5, a new season high for runs scored in a game for the Vikings.

A solo shot by Zach Reeg, the first homer of his collegiate career, in the top of the seventh made it 21-6 Augustana.

The Vikings added two more runs en route to the victory.

Game Two

Some clutch hitting proved to be the difference for Augustana late in an 8-5 come-from-behind win.

O'Donnell had his best game yet this year, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs. The sophomore also had three RBI and scored two runs.

Jacob James tied a season high with four hits in the victory for the Vikings.

Dalton Allen (1-0) picked up his first win of his collegiate career in relief. Allen came in late and pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out four.

For a second straight game, Fiala got Augustana out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, this time scoring James from second base with a single.

A three-run homer from Jordan Schulz gave the Beavers their first lead of the afternoon at 3-1 in the bottom half of the first inning.

Lincoln Voss was dialed in the next two innings, retiring the Minot State side each time.

The Vikings finally got the bats going in the top half of the sixth, scoring two runs to tie things up. Fiala got the comeback in motion with a leadoff single up the middle. A costly fielding error got Berg on first and put runners at the corners with Alex Fink up. The junior first basemen did his job with a sacrifice fly that brought in Fiala. O'Donnell made it 3-3 with a solo homer to right field shortly after.

Augustana tied the game up again at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning after Jack Goihl reached on a fielder's choice that scored James from third base.

The Beavers once again pulled ahead after getting a run in the bottom half of the seventh when Collin Lovell walked the batter in a bases-loaded situation. Dalton Allen immediately came in and got the final out to get the Vikings out of a jam.

O'Donnell put Augustana up for good in the eighth inning, with a two-run bomb to right field, making it 6-5. The Vikings added two more runs on RBI singles by Josh Benson and Goihl to extend their lead to three.

Allen never gave Minot State a chance the rest of the way, securing the game-two win for Augustana.

The Vikings close out the four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.