SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana University baseball played their first two games of the season inside Karras Park, Home of Ronken Field against Newman University. The Vikings and Jets split Saturday's doubleheader. Newman took game one 7-3, while the Vikings ended the day with a 9-6 victory.

Game One
Senior outfielder Tyler Field earned the team's first home run of the season. Field led off the fourth inning and sent a blast to right field to put the Vikings on the board in game one. Field ended the day going 1-for-3.

Dalton Lehnen got the starting nod on the mound. This was his third start of the season. Lehnen went four innings giving up two earned runs and striking out eight batters. Lehnen picked up the loss in game one.

The first runs of the ball game came in the top of the fourth inning. Newman's Brain Canfield hit the Jets first home run home run of the season to right field. Newman added three more runs in the inning. Augustana got a leadoff home run from Field before Patrick O'Donnell scored as Ryan Menssen reached on a throwing error by the Jets pitcher. Augustana scored one more run in the inning when Riley Johnson singled to right, driving in Alex Beals.

Newman three runs in the fifth inning to take the game 7-3.

Game One Pitchers of Record
Win - Kane McCarthy (1-0): 2.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Loss - Dalton Lehnen (0-3): 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 7 runs, 8 strikeouts, 3 walks

Game One Notables
• Field hit the Vikings first home run of the season
• Michael Brandt pitched three solid innings of relief giving up just one hit while striking out five
• The Vikings had six hits in the game
• Augustana left four runners on base
• With the loss, Augustana fell to 2-3 all-time against the Jets
• O'Donnell extended his hitting streak to 8-games
 

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Game Two
Kris Ashland broke a 5-5 tie in the fifth inning with a 2-run blast over the scoreboard in right field. Ashland's home run, his first of the season, gave the Vikings a 7-5 lead. It was a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Ashland finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

Jacob Blank entered the game in the fourth inning, with the Vikings leading 5-4 and became almost unhittable. Blank struck out the final two batters of the fourth which propelled him to striking out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings. Blank ended the day with a career-high 10 strikeouts, on his way to his second win of the season.

Augustana got on the board first in game two when Johnson scored on a balk from the Newman pitcher. Johnson had led off the game with a walk.

Newman took a 2-1 lead in the second after Nick Griffin homered to right and Ked Bailey singled up the middle to score Aaron Mack. The lead didn't last long as Johnson singled before advancing to third on a fielding error by the right fielder that allowed Sam Baier, Rafael Eigenmann and Michael Graff all to score, giving the Vikings a 5-2 lead after two innings of play.

Newman scored a run in the third and a run in the fourth to tie the game at five. Ashland broke the tie with his 2-run home run to right. The Vikings added to their lead in the fifth when Lucas Barry singled to right scoring Beals and making it 8-5 Vikings.

Augustana scored their final run of the game in the sixth inning on a passed ball that scored Field. Newman added one run in the seventh but it was enough as Dalton Allen came into the game and closed the door, going two shutout innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Game Two Pitchers of Record
Win - Jacob Blank (2-0): 4 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 runs, 10 strikeouts, 0 walks
Loss - Wade Winter (2-1): 2 IP, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, 5 runs, 1 strikeout, 3 walks
Save - Dalton Allen (1): 2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks

Game Two Viking Notables
• The Vikings picked up their third win of the season
• With the win Augustana improved to 3-3 all-time against the Jets and 1-1 in Sioux Falls
• O'Donnell's hitting streak came to an end, but he increased his reach base safely streak to 9-games
• Johnson and Ashland reached earned their first multi-RBI game of the season
• Field had a double
• Ryne Lees got the start for the Vikings pitching three innings giving up four runs and striking out five
• The Vikings left six runners on base

Up Next
Augustana and Newman will close out their 3-game series tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for noon.