PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. - The No. 12 Augustana baseball team (12-1, 1-1 NSIC) split its doubleheader with Northern State (6-5, 1-1 NSIC) in a conference neutral site battle in Plattsmouth, Neb. on Saturday. The Vikings took game one, 4-0, and fell in game two, 7-3.

GAME ONE: Augustana 4, Northern State 0
Jacob Blank had a sensational outing to open the conference baseball season. The preseason NSIC Pitcher of the Year and reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Year recorded a complete game shutout of the Wolves while allowing two hits and two walks and striking a season-high 10 batters. The Vikings 4-0 win moves Blank is now 3-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.77.

Blank started the game strong by striking out the side in the first inning. Blank would go on to get a 1-2-3 inning in the second and third innings before surrendering his first hit of the game in the fourth. Blank would get out of the fourth by picking off Lucas Lorenz off of first base.

The Vikings would break the scoreless tie in the fourth inning by scoring all of their runs in the frame. JT Mix broke the tie with a RBI groundout to score Ryan Menssen. Michael Svozil, Riley Johnson and Ryan Nickel would each get two-out RBI singles to make the score 4-0.

Those were all the runs Blank would need. Blank would record another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth and then work around trouble in the sixth. In the sixth, after getting the first out Blank would surrender a double and a walk. With runners on first and second with one out, Blank got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. Blank would strikeout the side in the seventh to complete the shutout.

Offensively, Johnson, Nickel and Svozil each recorded two hit games with a RBI apiece. JT Mix had the other hit and RBI for the Vikings.

GAME TWO: Northern State 7, Augustana 3
The Vikings dropped their first game of the season after falling to Northern State in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. They fell 7-3, ending their 12 game winning streak to begin 2018.

Augustana got the scoring started with a pair of runs in the first inning. The Vikings had two walks and scored their two runs on a pair of Northern State errors. After cruising the first two innings, Viking starter David Flattery gave up a grand slam to Jack Schmidt and the Wolves took a 4-2 lead.

Northern State would add a run in the fourth and two runs in the sixth to take a 7-2 lead. Augustana would end the string of seven with a RBI double from Trent Herman. The Vikings threatened in the eighth and ninth, but couldn't get the game any closer.

Flattery (2-1) took the loss for the Vikings after pitching four innings giving up five runs on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Thomas Bruss came in and tossed a career-high 3.2 innings of scoreless relief with one walk and five strikeouts.

???????Augustana and Northern State will conclude their series tomorrow, March 18 with a doubleheader in Omaha, Neb. The teams will start at noon at Jurgensen Park, home of Omaha Creighton Prep.