SIOUX FALLS – A couple of early runs gave way to a pitchers duel in Friday's elimination game between Augustana and Sioux Falls at Sherman Park, but the Vikings added a late insurance run to their 2-1 lead, and then hung on for a 3-1 win to eliminate the Cougars and advance in the NSIC Tournament.
 
Augsutana survives and advances with a 38-12 record to play either top-seed Winona State or No. 5 seed Northern State at Bowden Field on the Augustana campus at 2 p.m., while the Cougars end the season with a 31-19 record.
 
Sioux Falls used a pair of first inning hits and a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run, which staked the Cougars to an early 1-0 lead, only to see the Vikings come right back with one in their half of the first.
 
Kaylea Schorr belted a lead-off double for the Vikings in the frame, and scored three batters later on a Shannon Petersen single to tie the game at 1-1, but the rally ended before the Vikings could inflict any more damage.
 
Maggie Dunnett started the second with a single to left, advanced to second on a Schorr groundout two batters later and then scored on an Ashley Mickschl single to put the Vikings up 2-1.
 
The pitchers took over after that and kept it 2-1 until the Vikings added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Schorr RBI single that scored Taylor Bross from second for a 3-1 lead.
 
Mickschl got the start for the Vikings in the circle. She gave up one run on two hits, with no walks and a strikeout over three innings before giving way to Lexy Pederson.

Pederson, who stepped in to sing the National Anthem because of a computer malfunction before the game, scattered a pair of hits over four innings, with a walk and four strikeouts to earn the win, which boosts her record to 13-3.
 
Kerrigan Hoshaw took the loss for the Cougars after giving up both runs on six hits, with a walk and two strikeouts.