SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Following a 6-0 start to Northern Sun Conference play, the No. 14 Augustana softball team (26-5, 6-0 NSIC) now heads on the road for their first NSIC road trip of the year. The Vikings will travel west to Marshall, Minnesota for a two-game set with Southwest Minnesota State (11-7, 6-0 NSIC). First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Mattke Field. 

The Vikings are coming off a phenomenal six-game start to NSIC action. Augustana picked up sweeps over Wayne State, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State, and have now won seven straight overall.  In the six wins, the Vikings scored 44 runs, clubbed seven home runs, and hit .329.

The Augustana pitching staff allowed just nine runs in the six games, racked up 53 strikeouts and allowed opponents to hit just .150. In 31 games this season (175 IP), Augustana has a 1.48 ERA, which ranks 9th in the nation. The pitching staff has 10 shutouts this season, which spots them 7th in the nation.

From the dish, the Vikings also had a phenomenal start to conference action. The Vikings scored more than seven runs per game, clubbed seven home runs, drove in 40 runs and hit .329. Over 31 games this season, Augustana leads the NSIC in nearly every major offensive category. The Vikings are first in runs scored (208), RBI (187), doubles (53), and home runs (28).  The Vikings are slugging .515 as a team, which also leads the NSIC and is top-20 in the country. 

Individually, the Vikings continue to show that they have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the nation. Over the six-game conference stretch, including three starts, Amber Elliott was nearly untouchable. The sophomore finished 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA, collecting 25 strikeouts in 15.0 IP. Elliott starts conference play with 12.3 strikeouts per 7IP, which includes a career-high 13 strikeouts vs. Minnesota Duluth.

Offensively, Samantha Eisenreich and Maggie Dunnett brought the offense. Eisenreich started off conference play with four-straight games of two or more RBI and finished the six-game stretch with 18 total bases and a .467 (7-of-15) average. Dunnett hit .400 with three extra-base hits and drove in five runs for the Vikings. 

Overall, nine student-athletes are hitting above .320 this season and eight have double-digit RBI. Kendall Cornick and Mary Pardo remain first and second in the NSIC in runs scored. 

Scouting Southwest Minnesota State

The Mustangs come into Tuesday with a 6-0 start to NSIC play but have yet to play a conference game on the road. After the Mustangs series with Minnesota Crookston got moved to Monday, Tuesday's action will mark the third straight day of doubleheader action for SMSU.

The Mustangs are led by Emma Grote from the plate, who has played and started in all 18 games. She is batting .491 (28-of-57) and has nine RBI and a .632 slugging percentage. From the circle, the Mustangs ace is Athena Golling. In nine starts 11 appearances, she has a 1.20 ERA and has collected 46 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched. Augustana has won eight straight vs. SMSU and is 56-13 (.812) all-time vs. the Mustangs. 

Following the Vikings visit to Marshall, Augustana stays in the road for a pair of games at Minnesota State (Saturday) and Concordia St. Paul (Sunday).