MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Augustana's NCAA Central Regional run came to an end on Friday night under the lights at Dawson Field in Magnolia, Ark., as Minnesota State used a three-run fifth inning to build a 5-1 lead over the Vikings that they could not overcome in a 9-4 loss to the defending national champions.
 
The loss ends the Vikings season with a 42-15 record, while the Mavericks advance to take on No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas in the NCAA Central Region 2 Championship on Saturday with a 35-18 record.
 
The Mavericks batted first, and plated one run on three hits to take the early 1-0 lead, but it vanished quickly, as Kylie Rome smashed the equalizer over the left field fence in the Vikings half of the first to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Minnesota State fired right back with a run in the second to go back up 2-1, and then added three more in the top of the fifth to go up 5-1, including a Carly Esselman solo home run to right center field, and then three more sixth to go up 8-1.
 
The Vikings got back into the game in the sixth, getting an RBI double from Maggie Kadrlik that scored Shannon Petersen and a two-run home run from Morgan Beaner to cut the lead to 8-4, but they would get no closer, as the Mavericks got one back in the top of the seventh, and then kept Augustana off the board in bottom half of the frame to end the game.
 
Caitlin Stone picked up the win in the circle for the Mavericks to improve to 9-3, while Ashley Mickschl took the loss to wrap up an award-winning freshman campaign with a 20-8 record.