WAIPIO, Hawaii – No. 20 Augustana University (2-0) softball swept Chaminade (0-2) in its season-opening series on Saturday afternoon in Hawaii. The Vikings won the opener 10-2 before defeating the Silver Swords 7-4 in nine innings in the nightcap. 

Game one

Augustana University softball pounded 15 hits and got eight strikeouts from starting pitcher Carley Pickett in a 10-2 win in game one of a doubleheader over Chaminade University in the season opener for both teams.

Pickett tossed six strong innings for the Vikings allowing just one earned run and four hits while striking out eight.
 
Augustana had six different players with two or more hits in game one. Maggie Kadrlik finished with a career-high three hits going 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Shannon Petersen had a big day in her collegiate debut for the Vikings finishing 2 for 4 with two RBI.
 
Morgan Beaner picked up two hits in four at-bats and drove in a career-high three runs, hitting her first career home run, a three-run shot in the third inning.
 
Carly Peterson and Maddie Merriam each picked up two hits on the day for Augustana.
 
Luana Morena was tagged with the loss for Chaminade. She tossed four innings allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits.
 
The Vikings struck first taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Kadrlik. With two outs in the inning, Kennedy blooped a single to left field to keep the Vikings alive and on the first pitch she saw, Kadrlik sharply singled to right field. On the play, the Chaminade outfielder misplayed the ball allowing Kennedy to come all the way around and score giving Augustana an early lead.
 
After leaving two runners on in the second inning, Augustana broke through with a five-run top of the third inning to break open a 6-1 lead. Pickett started the inning by beating out an infield single and loaded the bases after Kennedy was walked and Kadrlik laid down a bunt single just past the pitcher.
 
Shannon Petersen stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a two-RBI single to center field to put Augustana in front 3-0. Just three pitches later, Morgan Beaner belted her first career home run over the right center field fence to put Augustana in front 6-0.
 
Chaminade got on the board in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Coco Stewart who drove in Kayla Henmi who led off the inning with a single. Henmi singled to right field and moved up to third base after an error on the play.
 
With a 6-1 lead headed to the top of the fourth inning, Augustana added to its lead with two runs on three hits. Carly Peterson led off the inning with a ground-rule double to left center field and scored to put Augustana up 7-1 on an RBI single by Pickett.
 
Kadrlik then delivered a two-out RBI double that scored Picket pushing Augustana's lead to 8-1.
 
Chaminade answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a one-out solo home run by Rainelle Matsuoka making the score 8-2. The Silver Swords put another runner on in the fifth but Merriam was able to turn a double play to end the inning.
 
The Vikings added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning scoring two unearned runs to push their lead to 10-2.
 
Maggie Dunnett made her collegiate debut in the circle for Augustana in the bottom of the seventh inning. After issuing a leadoff walk and allowing one hit, Dunnett got out of the inning to allow Augustana to pick up its first win of the season.
 
Game two

The Vikings bats were cooled off after the 15-hit game one effort. Chaminade starting pitcher Amber Manuel held Augustana hitless through the first four innings of the game.
 
Augustana finished the game with 10 hits, getting a career-high tying three from Carley Pickett. Pickett finished 3 for 4 with a walk and an RBI. Eight different players got a hit for Augustana in the nightcap. Maddie Merriam and Morgan Beaner each drove in two runs in the game two win.
 
Carley Pickett broke up the no-hitter with a two-out single in the top of the fifth but she would end up stranded on first.
 
Pickett's hit in the fifth sparked the Vikings bench as Maggie Kadrlik jumped on the first pitch she saw in the top of the sixth for a leadoff single on a line drive to center. Sydney Monsour came in to pinch run for Kadrlik and she moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Morgan Beaner.
 
Kylie Rome singled to right field to move Monsour up to second and the Vikings had runners at the corners with one out. Samantha Eisenreich pinch-ran for Rome and stole second base putting two runners into scoring position with two outs. Kayla Higuchi was able to get Kaylea Schorr to pop out to second base, bringing Maddie Merriam to the plate with two outs. Merriam dropped a 3-1 pitch in between the shortstop and center fielder to drive in two runs and give Augustana a 2-0 lead.
 
Chaminade cut Augustana's lead in half at 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning but Koopman was able to work out of a jam and leave the bases loaded. Rainelle Matsuoka was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Jenn Betian and Amber Manuel hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Nicole Erichsen then reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run but Koopman didn't let that get to her as she would leave the bases loaded in the sixth.
 
The Vikings quickly answered in the top of the seventh as Carly Peterson doubled sharply down the left field line to lead off the inning. Peterson came around to score on an RBI single by Carley Pickett to put Augustana back up by two at 3-1 with one out in the seventh. Sarah Kennedy and Maggie Kadrlik both reached on a fielder's choice and Pickett came around to score on Kadrlik's at-bat giving Augustana a 4-1 lead.
 
Augustana would look to close things out in the bottom of the seventh and looked on track to do so as Koopman struck out the leadoff batter in the inning but Chaminade had different ideas. The Silver Swords went on to score three runs on two hits and one Augustana error in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4 and send it to extra innings.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning, Augustana put together a three-run top of the ninth inning to take a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth. Pickett started the ninth with a single to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kennedy followed with a single to left allowing Pickett to move to third. Kennedy found her way to second base after a throwing error by Chaminade. Augustana loaded the bases when Kadrlik was hit by a pitch loading the bases for Beaner.
 
Beaner took a 0-1 pitch back up the middle to center field to drive in two runs and put the Vikings in front 6-4 with no outs in the inning. Schorr gave Augustana an insurance run with a two-out RBI single to score Beaner and put the Vikings in front 7-4.
 
Koopman pitched around a one-out double to hold on for her first win of the season. Koopman tossed all nine innings finishing with seven strikeouts giving up just two earned runs on eight hits.

Augustana returns to action on Sunday with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. (CT) at Hawaii Pacific University.