SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University softball closed-out the regular season with a doubleheader split against Minnesota State University on Sunday afternoon at Bowden Field. Minnesota State (40-13, 23-6 NSIC) won the opener 3-1 but the Vikings answered with a 14-3 win in five innings in the nightcap.
 
Augustana finishes the regular season with a record of 34-17 on the season, including 21-8 in NSIC play. The Vikings will now turn their attention to the postseason, starting with the NSIC Tournament which begins Thursday, April 28, at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls.
 
The NSIC Tournament bracket will be announced on Monday after today's St. Cloud State and Minot State game was postponed due to weather.
 
Game one
Augustana grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Sarah Kennedy but Minnesota State's Coley Ries struck out 13 batters as the Mavericks were able to take game one 3-1.
 
Carley Pickett (20-9) tossed a strong game for the Vikings going the distance while allowing just two earned runs on eight hits while striking out six.
 
Kennedy gave Augustana momentum early hitting a 0-1 pitch over the fence in deep right center field with two outs in the bottom of the first to put the Vikings in front 1-0.
 
Pickett was able to pitch around a leadoff single in the second thanks to Maggie Kadrlik gunning a runner out on second on a stolen base attempt. Kadrlik threw out a runner in the top of the first inning as well getting a caught stealing after a Pickett strikeout.
 
Minnesota State was able to put together three runs on two hits and two Augustana errors in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead. With one out in the inning, Ashley Thell doubled to the gap in left center. The Vikings were able to get two outs with runners on second and third but Kara Lattery doubled down the right field line to drive in two runs to give the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.
 
MSU's Cori Kennedy then reached on an error and the Mavericks took a 3-1 lead.
 
The Vikings put together a threat in the bottom of the sixth getting back-to-back singles from Carly Peterson and Pickett but MSU's Ries struck out the final two batters of the inning to maintain the two-run lead heading to the seventh.
 
Augustana was unable to get anything going in the seventh and MSU earned the 3-1 win to secure the NSIC Regular Season Championship.
 
Game two
Augustana put together two big innings, scoring 13 runs in the third and fourth, to earn a 14-3 win over Minnesota State in game two to salvage the split.
 
Augustana finished the game with 12 hits, led by Maggie Kadrlik who was 4 for 4 with an RBI. Sarah Kennedy finished 3 for 4 with five RBI for the Vikings while Kaylea Schorr added two hits going 2 for 3 with a pair of runs scored.
 
Karlee Koopman held the MSU bats down in the nightcap to earn her 13th win of the season. Koopman struck out three batters while allowing three unearned runs on five hits.
 
Augustana once again struck first in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Kennedy drove in the game's first run on a ground out to shortstop that scored Pickett who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.
 
The Vikings put a pair of runners on in the second with no outs but MSU was able to work out of the inning leaving two on.
 
MSU then was able to put up three runs on two hits and three Augustana errors in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead, a similar tale to game one, but the Vikings exploded for seven runs on six hits and one error in the home half of the inning to take an 8-3 lead.
 
Augustana loaded the bases and chipped away at the lead scoring a run at a time before Kennedy broke things open with a two-RBI single to put the Vikings in front 8-3. Koopman made quick work of the Mavericks in the top of the fourth and the offense picked up where it left off in the third scoring six more runs in the fourth to extend Augustana's lead to 14-3.
 
Schorr led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Merriam and Samantha Eisenreich then registered back-to-back walks to load the bases. Abby Chandler then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed two runs to score on an error by MSU. The Vikings scored another run on an error by the Mavericks before Kennedy delivered a two RBI single giving Augustana a 10 run lead.
 
Kadrlik singled to deep center field to drive in another run but was called out on the base path for passing up a runner but the damage had been done as the Vikings carried a 14-3 lead into the fifth with a chance to win game two by the eight-run rule.
 
Koopman allowed a leadoff single but finished off the game leaving a runner on base to help the Vikings earn a split with MSU.
 
Augustana will play at the NSIC Tournament on Thursday, April 28, at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls. The NSIC Softball Tournament bracket will be announced on Monday.