MARSHALL, Minn. – Junior Alex Fink's key hits led the way for Augustana baseball in two victories against Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. The Vikings improved to 26-15 (17-9 NSIC) on the year, while the Mustangs dropped to 19-23 (12-14 NSIC) with the losses.

Game One

Ryan Hamilton powered the Vikings to a 5-1 extra-innings win with some solid pitching.

Hamilton (3-3) picked up his third victory of the year. The right-hander went all eight innings on the mound, giving him his fifth complete game this season, most on the team. He also gave up one run on four hits while tying a season high with nine strikeouts.

Alex Fink provided the play of the day with a bases-clearing double in the top of eighth, part of a 3-for-4 day at the plate for the first basemen.

Patrick Fiala added three hits in the win.

 The Vikings threatened to score in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out and Lucas Barry up at the plate. Barry couldn't take advantage, grounding into an inning-ending 4-3 double play, leaving two runners stranded.

Hamilton continued his strong start in the bottom half of the second, getting SMSU to ground into their own inning-ending double play to keep the game scoreless. The sophomore allowed just one hit through his first two innings of work.

Augustana finally broke open the scoreless game with an RBI single from Fiala that scored Jack Goihl from second base with one out. The RBI single was the second hit of the game for Fiala.

Another 1-2-3 inning by Hamilton on the mound in the bottom of the fifth continued the Spearfish, S.D. native's dominant day and kept the Vikings up 1-0.

Hamilton highlighted his dominant day by striking out the side in the sixth inning to keep the shutout going.

Southwest Minnesota State was able to force extra innings with a sacrifice fly by Brandan Alfson in the bottom of the seventh that scored the runner on third base to make it 1-1.

In the top of the eighth, Fink came up with the play of the game with the bases loaded. The junior delivered a bases-clearing double down the right field line with one out to make it 4-1 Augustana. The Vikings added one more run on after Barry singled to right field to bring in Patrick O'Donnell.

Hamilton closed out of his stellar day by shutting down the Mustangs in the bottom of the eighth to give Augustana the win.

Game Two

The Vikings started fast and never looked back in a 12-4 win.

Fink turned terrific performance, going 3-for-4 with a career-best six RBI.

Jacob Blank (2-0) recorded his second win of the year. Blank went four innings, giving up two runs. The freshman also had three strikeouts.

Augustana seized control early with a four-inning first inning. The Vikings got their four runs on four hits, highlighted by Fink's three-run blast to right field.

A five-run inning at the plate pushed Augustana's lead to nine in the top of the second. Fink once again delivered the devastating blow with another three-run homer to right field, his second of the game.

An RBI single through the left side by SMSU's Jason Minett cut the Viking lead to seven in the bottom of the third at 9-2.

The Vikings added another run in the top of the fifth inning with a single through the middle by Jacob James that drove in Barry, making it 10-2.

Southwest Minnesota State tacked on two runs in the sixth inning to up its total to four on the day.

Augustana scored two runs in the top half of the seventh, highlighted by a solo home run by Barry.

Tyler Field closed out the Mustangs in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Vikings the win and the sweep on Saturday.

Augustana returns to action for another doubleheader against SMSU on Sunday in Sioux Falls. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field.