ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Fort Hays State (2-5) used a four-run top of the fourth inning and added a run in the top of the seventh to earn a 5-1 win over No. 20 Augustana (7-6) on Friday afternoon at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite.
 
Fort Hays State finished the game with 12 hits and scored four earned runs to down the Vikings. Karlee Koopman (3-3) was tagged with the loss allowing five runs while striking out three.
 
Maggie Kadrlik and Abby Chandler paced the Vikings offensively combining for four of the team's eight hits on the day. Kaylea Schorr accounted for Augustana's lone run of the game with a solo home run, the first of her career, in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Fort Hays State's Carrie Clarke stifled Augustana's bats early setting down the Vikings in order in the first two innings of the game.
 
The Vikings broke through in the top of the third when Chandler reached on a bunt single for the team's first hit of the day. Augustana would strand leave two runners on in the third.
 
Fort Hays State responded in the top of the fourth with four runs no five hits to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
 
The Vikings left on at least one runner in each of the next four innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Tigers added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 5-0 but Schorr got the Vikings on the board with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-1.
 
Augustana put together a two-out rally in the seventh loading the bases before Clarke got Sarah Kennedy to ground out with the sacks full to end the threat and the game.
 
The Vikings will play one game at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite tomorrow taking on Central Missouri at 12 p.m. Augustana then plays two more games in St. Cloud on Sunday.