ROLLA, Mo. - The Augustana baseball team continued its best start in school history with a doubleheader sweep of Missouri S&T on Sunday. The Vikings took game one, 6-3, and won game two, 7-4. The Vikings moved to 9-0 on the season and the Miners dropped to 3-7.

GAME ONE: Augustana 6, Missouri S&T 3
Augustana ran its season opening winning streak to eight games with a game one win over Missouri S&T on Sunday. Tyler Mitzel picked up the win for the Vikings after going four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Derek Dahlke shut the door on the Miners in the seventh to pick up his first save of 2018.

The Vikings got things going in the first inning with a pair of runs. Riley Johnson led the game off with a double down the right field line and would move to third on a passed ball. Johnson would score on a Ryan Nickel sac fly. Sam Baier would single, steal second and score on a Jordan Barth single to give Augustana a 2-0 lead.

The Vikings scored the decisive runs in their three run fifth inning. Lucas Barry knocked in the first run on a Miner fielding error and Barth added two RBI on a single up the middle, giving the Vikings a 5-0 lead. The Miner would get on the board in the fifth with three runs of their own to chase Mitzel from the game. Michael Brandt came in a erased the threat to close out the inning.

Augustana tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to make the game 6-3, but the Miners had the game tying run up to bat in the bottom of the seventh. Dahlke came in with runners on first and second and no one out and shut the door. Dahlke got a sac bunt and then two strikeouts to close out the Viking win.

Offensively, Barth led the Vikings, going two-for-three with three RBI. Baier was the only other Viking with multiple hits, going two-for-three with one RBI and two runs scored.

GAME TWO: Augustana 7, Missouri S&T 4
The Vikings kept their winning streak in tact with a come-from-behind win in game two against Missouri S&T. Augustana trailed 4-3 entering the seventh inning and used a three-run inning to take back the lead for good.

Augustana struck first on Jordan Barth's second home run of the season. The Vikings added another two runs in the fourth inning behind JT Mix and Riley Johnson RBI. The Miners would tie the game in the fifth with three runs and took the lead in the sixth with a single run.

The Miners lead would not last long as the Vikings pulled ahead in the seventh and would not relinquish the lead. Barth put the Vikings back on top with a two-RBI double and would score on a Ryan Menssen single. Augustana would add another run in the eighth for the final score of 7-4.

Barth led the Vikings offensively, going two-for-three with a double, a home run and three RBI. Menssen went three-for-three with a double and a RBI on offense and threw out a runner stealing. Johnson and Ryan Nickel each had two hits apiece and Johnson garnered two RBI.

Jed Schmidt made his first career start on the mound for the Vikings going 4.2 innings allowing three hits with three runs (one earned) and two strikeouts in a no decision. Tanner Brown picked up the win in his first collegiate appearance after getting the final out in the sixth. Clay Collision and Austin Orvis would finish off the game for the Vikings, with Collision throw 2.1 innings of relief and Orvis getting the last two outs for the save.  

The Vikings will host Winona State in a non-conference matchup against Winona State for Augustana's home opener. The Vikings and Warriors will play a doubleheader on March 10 and a single game on March 11.