COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Augustana softball team swept Central Missouri on Monday, claiming 4-1 and 6-3 victories in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Vikings, ranked No. 3 in the nation, improve to 12-2 on the season and have now won nine-straight games. Central Missouri falls to 15-7.
 
On a blustery day, the Vikings got it done on the basepaths, swiping 10 steals and totaled 11 hits.
 
After tallying four hits over the two games, Augustana senior Kendall Cornick is now hitting .531 and has totaled 20 RBI while owning a .574 on-base percentage.
 
Game One: No. 3 Augustana 4, Central Missouri 1
Pitcher Ashley Mickschl was perfect through 4 2/3 innings and the offense did the rest of the work in the 4-1 victory.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Vikings plated two runs in the second inning, first on an error by the third basemen which scored Abby Lien then on a wild pitch which scored Abbie Lund.
 
The Vikings then scored two more runs in the fourth inning. Kendall Cornick tallied an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Gracey Brink to make it 3-0 Vikings. Ashley Mickschl, the next batter, then doubled up the middle scoring Mary Pardo.
 
That was all that Mickschl needed as she struck out seven, giving up just three hits and one run for her sixth victory of the season.
 
The hits for the Vikings were spread out with five batters tallying the five in the game. Pardo stole two bases in the game while Cornick, Brink and Torri Chute each tallied a stolen bag apiece.

"We're a power hitting team, but we had to put the ball on the ground, play some short game and manufacture runs. I'm just proud that they [the team] adjusted to get two wins today" - head coach Gretta Melsted following Monday's victories. #BuildingChampions pic.twitter.com/ujulHsB3ki

— Augustana Softball (@AugieSoftball) March 30, 2021

 
Game Two: No. 3 Augustana 6, Central Missouri 3
Augustana scored two runs in the first inning, two in the third and one each in the fifth and sixth for the 6-3 win. Amber Elliott struck out nine while scattering four hits and allowed just one run in the win.
 
After being hit by a pitch, Mary Pardo took second base on a wild pitch and scored on a Kendall Cornick double into left-center field. Cornick then scored on a groundout from Chute for the early 2-0 lead.
 
Two more runs came in the fourth as Cornick again plated Pardo with a single into left center. Cornick ran across the plate two batters later as Chute recorded a sacrifice fly into left field.
 
With the exception of a single run scored in the fifth inning for UCM, it was cruise control for Elliott as she shut down the Jennies' offense.
 
Cornick again scored in the bottom of the fifth as Ashley Mickschl doubled down the left-field line for a 5-1 score. One inning later, Gracey Brink walked and stole second, and was then pushed home by a single from Amanda Dickmeyer.
 
Central Missouri made the score look closer with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh but the damage had already been done in the 6-3 win.
 
Cornick ended game two with three hits in three at-bats, three runs scored and two RBI.
 
Up Next
Augustana has a quick turnaround after its final nonconference set of the season. The Vikings travel to Wayne State for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.