SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --  Closing down a six-game homestand on Sunday at Bowden Field, the No. 14 Augustana softball team put together back-to-back impressive performances for a two-game sweep over St. Cloud State. Augustana opened Sunday with a 6-1 win and closed the day with a 10-2 (five inning) game-two win. 

Augustana pushes their win streak to seven games and improves to 26-5 (6-0). St. Cloud State drops to 18-10 (0-4).

Moments that mattered:

• Ashley Mickschl tossed five innings of shutout ball in the game one win, striking out five and collecting her NSIC-best 12th win the season. Olivia Wolters pitched two innings in relief for the Vikings. 
• Maggie Kadrlik and Christina Pickett both had two hits in game one. Delaney Young (2 RBI) and Pickett (3 RBI) drove in multiple runs for the Vikings.
• Amber Elliott was lights out in game two, tossing four shutout inning and racking up nine strikeouts.  
• Maggie Dunnett and Kara McDougall both had two hits in game two. Mary Pardo did damage with three RBI.

Game one
The series opened with both Augustana starter Ashley Mickschl and St. Cloud State starter Kate Kopeck allowing 0 runs through the first three frames. They each scattered just a pair of hits. 

The Vikings offense stepped up in the 4th. After Kendall Cornick reached second, Maggie Kadrlik laced a double to right center. Cornick sprinted around the base path and slide under the tag for a 1-0 Viking lead. Later in the inning, Delaney Young doubled up the lead on an RBI, and then Christina Pickett made it a 3-0 game with a single right field. Mickschl finished the fifth frame by collecting her fifth strikeout and keeping St. Cloud State off the board. 

The Vikings collected three more runs in the 6th as both Young and Pickett connect for RBI. Pickett finished 2-3 and three RBI. Olivia Wolters shut down the Huskies in the final two innings to close out game one.

Game two
Following a career-high 13 strikeout game on Saturday, Amber Elliott picked up right where she left off. The sophomore collected four strikeouts in the first inning alone and had seven through three frames. She pitched four shutouts innings, finished with nine strikeouts and moved to 9-2 on the year.

The Viking offense started with a Kadrlik RBI in the first, and following a Dunnett triple in the second, it was a 2-0 game. Mary Pardo connected on a solo shot later in the second, and by the end of the inning, it was a 4-0 game.

The Vikings broke the game open in the third frame, plating six runs. Samantha Eisenreich connected on an RBI single to right for the innings first run, and RBI from Dunnett and McDougall made it 7-0. Mickschl doubled in two runs later in the inning to make it 10-0. Wolters pitched the final frame for Augustana. 

The Vikings now start a six-game road trip, opening with Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Marshall, Minnesota.