SIOUX FALLS – The Augustana softball team closed its regular season home schedule on Monday with a sweep of Minnesota Crookston, downing the Golden Eagles 7-0 in the opener and 6-1 in the nightcap to stay perfect at home this season with a 10-0 record.
 
Overall, the Vikings improve to 33-9 and to 15-3 in the NSIC, while the Golden Eagles head home with a 6-34 record overall, and a 2-16 mark in conference play.
 
After a slow start by both teams, the Vikings opened the fourth with singles from Ashley Mickschl and Kaylea Schorr, and then got a sacrifice bunt from Christina Pickett to advance them into scoring position. That brought up Maggie Dunnett, who sacrificed home Mickschl for the game's first run.
 
Still 1-0 in the fifth, the Vikings plated four runs, highlighted by a two-run shot from Maggie Kadrlik that put her team in front 5-0.
 
The final two runs of the game came off the bat of Morgan Beaner, who smacked her fourth home run in as many at-bats, dating back to Sunday's game against Bemidji State, this one a two-run blast to the put the Vikings up 7-0.
 
Mickschl took care of the rest, tossing a three-hit shutout, walking one and striking out nine to boost her record to 14-4, with five shutouts.
 
The scoring in Game 2 started with a passed ball that scored Kendall Cornick, before Schorr came through with an RBI sngle that scored Abbie Lund for a quick 2-0 Augustana lead.
 
Taylor Bross opened the second inning with a solo homer to left for a 3-0 lead, and then the Vikings added two more in the frame on a Kylie Rome RBI single and a Kadrlik RBI double for a 5-0 Vikings advantage.
 
The Golden Eagles got one back in the top of the third, but would get no closer, as the Vikings added an insurance run in the sixth to secure the 6-1 win.
 
Olivia Wolters earned the win in relief to improve to 5-2 on the season. She scattered four hits over the final four innings, with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
The home schedule in the books, the Vikings return to action on Wednesday, when they make the trip across town to play Sioux Falls in a doubleheader at Sherman Park at 4 p.m.