SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A return to Sioux Falls for the No. 25 Augustana baseball team (35-14, 28-6 NSIC) proved to be a historic day for the program as they took down Upper Iowa (12-27, 9-25 NSIC) in a doubleheader 6-0 and 13-0. 

With the two wins, head coach Tim Huber moved to 400 wins in his career with the Vikings. Overall, coach Huber has accumulated a 400-203 record in 11 seasons at the helm for Augustana. 

The pair of wins also ensures that the Vikings control their own destiny headed into the final game of the regular season in the NSIC standings. If the Vikings win on Saturday, they will clinch the regular season title for the first time since joining the conference. 

Game One

In game one of the series, Augustana's Max Steffens made some history of his own, moving into first place all-time for innings pitched in a season with 83.1 so far. Steffens also moved into first for the most flyouts forced in a season with 85, and is tied for third all-time for complete games in a season with seven. 

The junior from DeWitt, Iowa pitched seven innings and surrendered just four hits, struck out six, and gave up zero walks in a shutout. 

The Vikings scored the first runs of the game in the first inning as they blitzed the Peacocks for four runs early on. The scoring started with a RBI bunt single by Riley Johnson to drive in JT Mix. Johnson scored on a Ryan Nickel RBI groundout and shortly after, Sam Baier highlighted the inning with a two-RBI double that scored Nate Crossman and Will Olson. 

Seth Miller recorded two RBI to cap off the Vikings' scoring in the fourth and sixth innings. Miller drove in Crossman on a sacrifice fly and Nickel on a fielder's choice. 

Steffens controlled the game and finished off the Peacocks with just 76 pitches on the game. 

Game Two

Game two of the series showed an early barrage of runs again by the Vikings as they scored nine runs in the first three innings against the Peacocks. Michael Svozil scored the first run of the game on a Johnson groundout and Jordan Barth returned from injury with a home run in his second at-bat of the day, knocking the ball over the left field fence to give the Vikings an early 2-0 lead in game two. 

In the second inning, Johnson knocked in a pair of RBI on a single to left field and gave Augustana a 4-0 lead. In the third inning, the Vikings put up five runs and took advantage of walks and an error by Upper Iowa. Baier kicked off the inning with an RBI single and Nickel recorded an RBI on a walk. Svozil knocked in two RBI on a single up the middle and the Vikings finished off the inning with Nickel scoring on a wild pitch for a 9-0 lead. 

The Vikings scored another run in the fourth to stretch the lead to 10-0 and Bjorn Hanson drove in a run in the sixth. Augustana scored two more runs in the sixth on a groundout and a fielding error to cap the game at 13-0. 

On the mound, Tanner Brown earned his fifth win of the season and pitched five innings and struck out four while giving up no runs. Connor Herd and Derek Dahlke pitched the final two innings and combined to strike out three of the final six batters. 

Next Up

The Vikings finish the regular season on Saturday against Upper Iowa in the final game of the series at Karras Park, the home of Ronken Field starting at noon. The game also represents Senior Day for the Vikings where they will honor their seven seniors.