SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University softball head coach Gretta Melsted won her 400th career game as the Vikings' head coach in a 1-0 win over the University of Central Missouri on Sunday morning. The Vikings (15-7) ended the six-game trip with a 4-1 loss to Pittsburg State.
 
Melsted owns a career record of 400-186 in 11 seasons at Augustana, giving her a career record of 481-277 all-time.  

Game one 
Lexy Pederson (8-3) earned the complete game victory for the Vikings in the circle. Pederson allowed five hits and struck out two, earning her third shutout of the season.
 
Sarah Kennedy led the Vikings at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Kennedy had the only extra-base hit in the game and scored the game's only run.
 
Augustana and Central Missouri combined to leave 18 runners on base. The Vikings left a pair of runners on in the top of the first inning and got a leadoff single in the top of the second but were unable to get a runner past third.
 
Kara McDougall led off the second with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch before being sacrificed to third on a bunt by Abby Chandler. McDougall was thrown out at home on a ground ball to second base by Maggie Dunnett.
 
Kennedy got into scoring position with a one-out double in the top of the third. Christina Pickett grounded out to second to move Kennedy to third and Shannon Petersen reached on an error, allowing Kennedy to score and give Augustana a 1-0 lead.
 
UCM put two runners on in the bottom of the fifth inning but Pederson got a strikeout to end the threat. Pederson set the Jennies down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to secure her eighth win of the season.
                                                                                                                                                                           
Game two
Augustana took on Pittsburg State in its final game of the Missouri Western State Hy-Vee Classic. The Vikings fell 4-1 to Pittsburg State to end the weekend trip 5-1.
 
Pittsburg State scored two runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. The Vikings plated a run in the top of the seventh but it was too little too late.
 
Kara McDougall led the Vikings at the plate going 2 for 3 with a pair of singles. Pittsburg State finished the game with three doubles and three triples.
 
Pittsburg State plated two runs on three hits and one Augustana error in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead. Emmie Robertson (15-3) held Augustana hitless the next two innings and her team gave her a four-run lead in the bottom of the fifth scoring two runs on one hit and one Viking error to go in front 4-0.
 
Shannon Petersen started a one-out rally in the top of the seventh inning and scored on a throwing error after a single by McDougall to make the score 4-1. Abby Chandler walked to put two runners on for the Vikings with two outs in the inning but Robertson got a fly out to end the threat and the game.
 
Augustana returns to action Tuesday, March 28, hosting Wayne State in the NSIC opener at 3 p.m. at Bowden Field.