SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Bemidji State knocked Augustana around for seven runs on 15 hits earning a 7-4 win, eliminating the Vikings (38-14) from the NSIC Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Bowden Field. Augustana went 2-2 in the NSIC Tournament and will now await the NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show on Monday to see if it earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Bemdji State improved to 28-18 on the year and will play Winona State in an elimination game on Saturday at Bowden Field.
 
BSU's Jessica Yost earned the complete-game victory in the circle to improve to 25-7 on the year. Yost struck out seven batters while allowing four runs on seven hits.
 
Augustana's Sarah Kennedy and Shannon Petersen both hit their 15th home runs of the season in the loss. Olivia Wolters was the pitcher of record for the Vikings falling to 17-9 on the year after allowing five runs on four hits in 1.1 innings.
 
Bemidji State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and quickly added to it in the top of the second, going off for four runs on four hits to take a 5-0 lead. Jessica Burlingame delivered the big blow in the second with a base-clearing three RBI double.
 
The Beavers threatened again in the third but Pederson worked her way out of the jam and the Viking offense got some life in the third. Kennedy belted her 15th home run of the year, a two-run shot with two outs, to make the score 5-2. Bemidji State took the wind out of Augustana's sail right away in the top of the fourth plating two runs on three hits to extend its lead to 7-2.
 
Shannon Petersen led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to make it 7-3 and the Vikings would trail by four heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Abby Chandler and Kara McDougall started a rally with back-to-back infield singles to start the inning. Maggie Dunnett then singled up the middle to score Chandler making the score 7-4. Samantha Eisenreich moved both runners into scoring position at second and third on a groundout to third before Kaylea Schorr stepped to the plate with one. Schorr sharply lined out to short to end a six-pitch at-bat and BSU nearly turned a double play. Kennedy came up with a chance to be the game-winning run but she popped out to short to end a seven-pitch at-bat and the game.
 
Augustana will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday to see if it earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.