MARSHALL, Minn. – Augustana used late-inning heroics in game one and a seven-run top of the seventh inning in game two to earn a sweep over Southwest Minnesota State (15-15, 6-8 NSIC) on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. The Vikings (26-10, 11-3 NSIC) won the opener 9-7 thanks to a three-run home run in the top of the sixth by Shannon Petersen before going off for seven runs in the top of the seventh to win game two 13-5.
 
Augustana combined for 32 hits and 22 runs in the doubleheader, finishing with 18 hits in game two and 14 in game one.
 
Game one
Shannon Petersen hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give Augustana a9-7 lead, which it would hold for a victory in game one. The Vikings led 6-2 before giving up a five runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Petersen came up big with a two-out three-run home run in the sixth.
 
Augustana finished the opener with 14 hits, led by Kaylea Schorr and Sarah Kennedy, who each finished 3 for 4 in the game.
 
Schorr was 3 for 4 with two runs scored while Kennedy finished with a double, her NSIC-leading 16th of the season, and two RBI.
 
Petersen finished the day 2 for 3 at the plate, coming up big in the top of the sixth with her eighth home run of the season.  Kylie Rome also picked up a pair of hits, including a double while Kara McDougall singled twice and picked up her 13th stolen base of the year.
 
Augustana took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. McDougall opened the scoring on a passed ball after starting the inning with an infield single and a stolen base. With two outs in the inning, Kennedy delivered an RBI single to put the Vikings in front 2-0 and on the same play, Schorr came around to score on an error by SMSU to give the Vikings a three-run lead.
 
SMSU chipped away at Augustana's lead scoring a run in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to make it a one-run game at 3-2. The Vikings responded with three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 6-2. Augustana got a pair of RBI doubles in the inning, one from Kennedy and another from Rome, but the Mustangs fired right back in the home half of the fifth.
 
SMSU scored five runs on five hits, including a two-out, two-run home run by Mackenzie Clouse, to take its first lead of the game at 7-6.
 
Samantha Eisenreich started off the top of the sixth with a double to left field to start Augustana's rally. With one out in the inning, Kennedy picked up her third hit of the game, a single to left, to put runners on the corners with one out. Kennedy then stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.
 
Petersen stepped to the plate with two outs and two runners on and took an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field to put the Vikings back in front at 9-7.
 
Olivia Wolters (10-5) who came into the game during the five-run SMSU fifth, set the Mustangs down in order in the sixth and pitched around a leadoff single in the seventh to seal the game and earn her 10th win of the season.
 
Game two
Augustana carried a 6-3 lead into the seventh inning before going off for seven runs in the top of the seventh to take game two 13-5. The Vikings finished with 18 hits in the nightcap, with all nine players in the lineup picking up at least one hit in the game.
 
Sarah Kennedy continued to swing a hot bat for the Vikings, finishing 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Kennedy finished the afternoon with three doubles, giving her 18 on the season which leads the NSIC.
 
Shannon Petersen went 3 for 5 in game two with a double and a three-run home run for her second homer of the day and ninth of the season. Kaylea Schorr was 2 for 3 with a double while Kylie Rome picked up three hits and Samantha Eisenreich and Abby Chandler each pitched in with two.
 
Olivia Wolters earned the win in game two to improve to 11-5 on the season. Wolters struck out four batters in the nightcap.
 
Petersen started the scoring in the top of the first inning when she drove in Kennedy, who doubled with one out in the inning, with her 10th double of the season putting the Vikings up 1-0. SMSU tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the first but the Vikings answered with four runs on five hits in the top of the second to go in front 5-1.
 
Augustana used four RBI singles in the top of the second to grab a four-run lead before leaving the bases load. SMSU added another run in the bottom of the second to make it 5-2 but Kennedy delivered an RBI double with two outs in the top of the third to put the Vikings back up by four at 6-2.
 
SMSU used a three-run bottom of the fifth inning to get within one at 6-5 but the Viking offense had another big burst left in it. Augustana scored seven runs on seven hits, including a three-run home run by Petersen, in the top of the seventh to build a 13-5 lead.
 
Augustana remains on the road this week with four more games on tap. The Vikings will take on Northern State in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Friday before heading to Moorhead, Minnesota to take on MSU Moorhead in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday.