SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana baseball team's winning streak reached six games with two victories on Sunday against Southwest Minnesota State, giving it the four-game series sweep. The Vikings improved to 28-15 (19-9 NSIC), while the Mustangs fell to 19-25 (12-16 NSIC) on the year.
Augustana used the combination of good hitting and some solid pitching by
Lincoln Voss in game two to secure the series sweep against SMSU.
Game OneThe Vikings used some serious power hitting at the plate to take down Southwest Minnesota State 14-10.
Augustana tied a season high with four home runs the game.
Zach Reeg (2-0) racked up the victory, his second of the year in a relief role. Reeg came in the fourth to relieve starter
Ryne Lees and got Augustana out of the inning with two straight outs that left three runners stranded for the Mustangs.
Reeg also delivered quite possibly the play of the year with an inside-the-park grand slam in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Vikings a 10-run lead.
Bryce Berg added a grand slam of his own an inning earlier, this one sailing over the right field wall to give the senior four RBI in the contest.
Patrick Fiala and
Alex Fink each added home runs of their own in the contest. For Fink, it was his third home run in the last two games.
Augustana stormed out to a 5-0 advantage in the first. The Vikings got their five runs on four hits with Fink's three-run blast that capped off the strong start at the plate.
A two-run inning in the top of the third by the Mustangs cut the Viking lead to two. SMSU picked up its two runs by way of a Patrick Rients homer to left center with one out.
Fiala immediately answered with a solo shot to left field in the bottom half to put Augustana up 6-3.
The Vikings broke this game open in the bottom of the fourth after
Jacob James,
Marcus O'Neill, and
Jack Goihl loaded the bases to open the inning. Berg then turned on a 1-2 pitch and crushed it over the right field wall, upping the Augustana lead to six.
Reeg's grand slam highlighted another explosive inning at the plate for the Vikings in the fourth. The freshman's not-something-you-see-everyday slam was a result of a well-struck ball that Southwest Minnesota State's centerfielder couldn't get to fast enough, allowing for Reeg to round the bases for the rarely seen play.
The Mustangs would rally late but it ultimately came up short. SMSU's four-run inning in the top of the seventh was brought to a close by
Troy Pilkington, giving the Vikings the win.
Game TwoAugustana used an excellent pitching performance by Voss to pick up the sweep with a 7-2 win in the nine innings.
Voss (2-1) was credited with his second win of 2015. The Fargo, N.D. native went seven innings in relief, giving up no runs and just three hits while striking out a career-high nine batters. The right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced.
Goihl found his power-hitting swing, belting two home runs in the win to up his total to 14 on the year. The senior also had four RBI, the third time this season that he has recorded at least four in a game.
Lucas Barry added two hits, including a solo home run, his fourth of the year.
Southwest Minnesota State jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a leadoff homer to open the contest in the first inning. It would be the only time the Mustangs had the advantage.
The Vikings countered with three runs in the bottom half of the first all coming from Goihl's three-run shot to left center.
SMSU's Tanner Neale made it a 3-2 game with a solo shot in the top of the second.
Barry answered with a solo blast of his own to right center in the bottom half of the second inning to make it 4-2, giving the second basemen two in the last three games.
Voss then came in to start the third, beginning a run of 11 straight batters retired for the sophomore.
Augustana added some insurance runs the rest of the way, getting one-run innings in the fifth, seventh, and eighth. Goihl capped off his day with his second blast, a solo homer, in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Southwest Minnesota State was able to get a runner on third base in the top of the ninth but Voss closed it down by striking out the Mustangs' batter for the final out.
The Vikings return to action for a two-game home series with Sioux Falls on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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