MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The 5th seeded Augustana baseball team (45-8) took down 4th seeded Pittsburg State (33-20) in the first game on the Central Regional in Magnolia, Ark. on Thursday, 9-4.

With the win, the Vikings move to the winner's bracket and guarantee their stay in Arkansas to go to at least Saturday. It was also Augustana's second NCAA tournament win in school history with its first coming in 2014. The Vikings are now 2-4 all-time in the NCAA tournament.

The offense was opportunistic and the pitching staff grinded in the Vikings 9-4 victory. Only four of the nine runs were earned as Vikings capitalized on three Gorilla errors. The three Viking pitchers allowed four runs seven hits while stranded 10 Gorilla baserunners on base.

Tyler Mitzel (10-0) earned the win for Augustana after going five innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking four and striking out six. Mitzel becomes the second Viking to win double digit games in a season, tying the school single season record of 10 wins set by Jacob Blank in 2017 (10-0). Austin Orvis and Jed Schmidt finished out the game for the Vikings with each tossing two innings. Orvis allowed no hits and no runs while striking out two and Schmidt allowed two runs (zero earned) on one hit with two punchouts.

Riley Johnson led the Vikings going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and four runs scored to tie a single game career-high. Michael Svozil, Sam Baier and Lucas Barry each tallied two hits. Lucas Wylie recorded three RBI with a home run and Jordan Barth and Baier each notched a pair of RBI.

The Vikings struck first in the first inning on a Barth single. Barth lined a single off of the pitcher's leg advancing Svozil to third, but would score on a throwing error on the play to give Augustana a 1-0 lead. The Vikings opened the game up in the third inning with a four-run frame. Johnson scored on a Barth sacrifice fly and Wylie got the big hit of the inning after a Pitt State error extended the inning. Wylie hit a two-out, three-run home run to right field give the Vikings a 5-0 lead.

Augustana would add another two runs in the fourth. Baier laced a double down the left field line to score JT Mix and Johnson would score the final run of the fourth on a fielder's choice. The Gorillas got on the board in the fifth with a pair of runs to make the score 7-2 Vikings

The Vikings would add to their lead with a run in each of the sixth and eighth innings. Johnson would score in each inning, in the sixth in a Svozil single and in the eighth on a Baier single. The Gorillas would add two runs in the eighth to make the final score 9-4.

Augustana advances to the winner bracket and will play in game seven of the Central Regional at 5 p.m. in Magnolia, Ark. tomorrow, May 18. The Vikings will play No. 8 Emporia State (34-22).