OMAHA -- The Augustana baseball team (10-5, 3-0 NSIC) completed a sweep of Bemidji State (1-13, 0-3 NSIC) over the weekend to open NSIC play in a series played in Omaha, Neb. The series was moved south after heavy flooding affected the Sioux Falls area.

The series against the Beavers was the first since the Vikings returned from their trip to Florida on Wednesday.

Game One:

In game one, the Vikings trailed much of the game before scoring three runs in the fifth and sixth innings on the back of a pair of Jordan Barth RBI singles. Sam Baier would plate the go-ahead run with an RBI bunt single. 

Four Augustana batters put up multi-hit games, with Riley Johnson, Ryan Nickel, Barth, and Baier each recording at least two hits in the game. 

Thomas Bruss earned the win in game one allowing zero runs with five strikeouts, while pitching 2.1 innings. Michael Brandt posted his first save of the season throwing seven pitches and recording a strikeout. 

Game Two: 

Augustana used power hitting and base-running to dominate the second game of the series against the Beavers, as six batters recorded extra-base hits in the 16-7 win. The Vikings were able to swipe five bases in the game as well.

The game began with a five-run rally by Bemidji State in the top of the first inning before a six-run first put the Vikings on top. Augustana would never trail the remainder of the game as they put up three runs in the fifth and six runs in the seventh inning.

On the hill, the Vikings were highlighted by Tanner Brown's performance as he entered in relief in the first inning and pitched 5.1 innings, giving up just three hits and one earned run while striking out 12 batters. Ryan Helgeson relieved Brown in the sixth inning and struck out five batters in 2.2 innings of work. 

At the plate, Johnson extended his hitting streak to nine games, knocking both a double and triple, while going 3-6 overall with an RBI. Nate Crossman blasted a triple off of the right field wall on his way to a 2-5 performance with three RBI. Will Olson and Baier chipped in as well, with both Vikings plating two RBI with two hits apiece. 

Game Three: 

In game three, the Vikings and Beavers had a pitchers' duel through three innings before Augustana blew the game wide open in the fourth inning. The Vikings put up eight runs in the bottom of the fourth and added five runs in the fifth to secure the win. 

In the fourth inning, Augustana had five batters collect RBI on extra-base hits with JT Mix, Will Olson, Michael Svozil, and Nickel smacking doubles while Barth homered to left field to cap the inning. 

The fifth inning showed five runs for the Vikings, as Johnson extended his hitting streak to 10 games on an odd sequence of events that led to an inside-the-park home run. Johnson knocked the ball down the right field line where it landed underneath a bench in the bullpen. The right fielder believed the ball was out of play, allowing Johnson to advance all the way home. The home-plate umpire ruled that the ball was indeed in play, securing the two-RBI home run for Johnson.

Baier would cap the fifth inning with a single through the left side that scored two runs. 

Max Steffens grabbed his first win of the season, pitching seven innings for a complete game while allowing just one earned run, the first in three games. Steffens threw just 84 pitches on the game in a very efficient win.

The Vikings return to action on Wednesday when they host Minnesota Duluth in a doubleheader in Sioux Falls.