KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- Continuing action on day three of the RussMatt Baseball Florida Invitational, the No. 15 Augustana baseball team went 2-0 in a two-game slate on Saturday. The Vikings opened the day with a with a 6-2 win over Grand Valley State (MI) and made a statement in game two, routing New York Institute of Technology, 17-7. 

Augustana, who pushes their win streak to three games, moves to 6-3 (0-0 NSIC).

Game one:

In game one, Grand Valley State scored the first run in the second, but the Viking used a four run two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. Ryan Nickel, Jordan Barth, and Sam Baier all laced an RBI in the 4th for the Vikings and made it a 4-2 game.

Grand Valley State added a run in the 6th, but the Vikings answered in the 7th as they added two more runs with RBI doubles by Nickel and Baier. 

Barth and Nickel led Augustana at the plate, with both players recording 3-4 performances, a double, and two RBI. 

On the mound, Tanner Brown earned the win, surrendering two earned runs with three strikeouts and allowing four hits. Ryan Helgeson and Michael Brandt pitched 3.1 innings of shutout baseball in relief for the Vikings. 

Game two:

Garrett Payne took the bump in game two for the Vikings and showed off his stuff early. The redshirt sophomore tossed three innings of shutout ball and finished the day with seven strikeouts and two earned runs in seven innings pitched. He picked up his first career win as a Viking.

The story of Saturday's game two was the breakout third inning from Augustana. The Vikings batted around the lineup as they plated a season-high 11 runs in the third.

Nickel started the scoring in the third with an infield RBI, and following a Barth RBI double, a Baier ground out, and a bases-loaded walk, the Vikings led 6-0. Barth finished the two games 5-8 and drove in four runs. 

Before the inning was over, Riley Johnson, Michael Svozil, and Baier all added additional RBI. The Vikings tacked on a few more runs in the 7th with Ford Schroeder, Jared Campbell, and Matt Gruber all getting an RBI. 

The 17 runs mark a season-high for Augustana. Overall, the Vikings finished 13-of-34 (.383) against NYIT.

Augustana now has the day off before playing again on Monday vs. Northwood (MI). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. central.