GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

ABERDEEN, S.D. – No. 18 Augustana softball won its 12th straight game after a sweep over Northern State on Friday afternoon in Aberdeen. The Vikings (29-5, 10-0 NSIC) allowed just one hit in a 14-0 five-inning win in game one before coming from behind to defeat the Wolves (18-13, 5-3 NSIC) 10-5 in game two.
 
Augustana trailed 5-1 headed to the fifth inning of game two before scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings to sweep the Wolves. 

Game one
Augustana held Northern State to just one hit in a 14-0 game-one win over the Wolves. 
 
Carly Peterson led the Vikings at the plate finishing with a career-high three hits and five RBI going 3 for 4 with a double. Sophomore shortstop Sarah Kennedy added to her league-lead in doubles with her 17th of the season while driving in a career-high four runs. Kennedy also hit her seventh home run of the season this afternoon.  
 
Caitlin Nichol finished 3 for 3 with a double and her ninth home run of the season while Jenelle Trautmann tied a single game record at Augustana being intentionally walked four times. Trautmann owned the single game record after being intentionally walked four times in a game against Concordia-St. Paul on April 18, 2014.
 
Trautmann picked up her seventh straight victory in the circle improving to 17-1 on the year after allowing just one hit and striking out nine in four innings of work. Trautmann has struck out six or more batters in six straight games for the Vikings.
 
For the second straight game, Nichol gave her team an early lead with a leadoff home run, her ninth round-tripper of the season, to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Kennedy belted her seventh home run of the season over the fence in left center field to put Augustana up 2-0 with one out in the top of the first.
 
After already giving up two home runs in the top of the first, Northern State intentionally walked Trautmann before getting two straight strikeouts to end the inning.
 
Trautmann struck out five batters over the first two innings and the Vikings answered with a five-run top of the third to take a 7-0 lead. Nichol led off the inning with a single and Carley Pickett walked to put two runners on for Kennedy. Kennedy delivered a two-RBI double to left center to put Augustana in front 4-0. Northern State then intentionally walked Trautmann for the second time in the game and the Vikings had two more runners on.
 
Peterson made them pay with an RBI single to make the score 5-0. Karlee Koopman and Maddie Merriam drove in two more runs on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice bunt go give Augustana a seven-run lead at 7-0.
 
Nichol started another rally in the top of the fourth getting hit by a pitch to start the inning. Pickett reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Nichol to reach second base after an error by Northern State. Nichol and Pickett then each moved up a base when Kennedy grounded out to first. Trautmann loaded the bases after being intentionally walked for the third time in the game and two batters later made it hurt once again driving in two more with a double to give Augustana a 9-0 lead.
 
The Vikings then went off for five more runs on four hits in the top of the fifth inning to take a 14-0 lead. Augustana did all of its damage in the fifth with two outs in the inning. Kennedy drove in a run with a single and Peterson drove in two more with a single with the bases loaded. Koopman drove in the 14th run of the game with a single to score Kaylea Schorr who was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded earlier in the inning to drive in a run.
 
Game two
Sarah Kennedy had another big day at the plate in game two going 3 for 4 with a home run. Kennedy improved her batting average to .530 on the season with the win and extended her hitting streak to 15 games.
 
Carly Peterson finished the nightcap 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI while Maddie Merriam was 2 for 4 with a double of her own while driving in one run.
 
Trautmann picked up her 18th win of the year and improved to 18-1 getting the win in game two after tossing three innings and striking out four batters while allowing just one hit.
 
Northern State scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning and grabbed the early lead in the nightcap. Katie Dawson came up with the big hit in the inning for the Wolves picking up a two-RBI double that put her team up 4-0 in the first.
 
The Vikings broke through with a run in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Trautmann with the bases loaded to cut Northern State's lead to three at 4-1. The wolves answered right back in the bottom of the third, taking a 5-1 lead on an RBI single by Brittney Lash.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, Augustana chipped away at the Northern State lead and eventually took the lead on an RBI double by Maddie Merriam to put the Vikings in front 6-5. Pickett started the rally with a one-out single and Kennedy drove her in with her eighth home run of the season to cut NSU's lead to 5-3.
 
Trautmann was then hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Peterson moved her to second with a single putting two runners on with one out. Kaylea Schorr came in to pinch run for Trautmann and she came around to score on an RBI single by Jordan Schaffer that made the score 5-4. Schaffer tried to take second base on the same play and got in a run-down that allowed Peterson to score the game-tying run. Kylie Rome then reached on an error by the second baseman and Merriam doubled her in to put Augustana in front 6-5, for its first lead of the game.
 
Trautmann entered the game in the circle in the bottom of the fifth inning and struck out two batters getting the Vikings back up at the plate quickly in the top of the sixth. Augustana then added four more runs in the sixth to extend its one-run lead to five at 10-5.
 
Trautmann drove in the first run in the sixth with a single that scored Pickett who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. Trautmann then stole second setting up Peterson with runners on second and third with one out. Peterson came up with another clutch hit for the Vikings driving in two more runs with a double to left field to put Augustana in front 9-5. With two outs, Kylie Rome delivered an RBI double that scored Peterson to extend the lead to five at 10-5.
 
Karlee Koopman came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh for the Vikings and set the Wolves down quietly with two ground outs and a strikeout.
 
Augustana will close-out its four-game road trip with a doubleheader at MSU Moorhead on Saturday. First pitch between the Vikings and Dragons is set for 12 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.