SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana softball team is back in action Wednesday hosting Southwest Minnesota State with a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at Bowden Field.
 
In compliance with Augustana's COVID-19 protocols, attendance for the games will be open to the public with a limited capacity. All spectators must wear a mask unless actively eating or drinking. In addition, fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to help support physical distancing. The full spectator policy can be found here. 
 
About the Vikings
The No. 1 ranked Vikings are 21-3 on the season and are in first place of the NSIC with a 9-1 record having won seven-straight games and have taken 18 of their last 19 games.
 
One of the nation's top players, Kendall Cornick, continues to tear the cover off the ball with a .519 batting average after tallying 41 hits and 10 doubles. All three marks are tops in the NSIC and rank the senior within the top-25 in the country. Augustana paces three players with five or more home runs, led by Mary Pardo with eight. Torri Chute has tallied seven long balls and leads the team with 29 RBI. Abby Lien has found her stroke in the Vikings' lineup and has powered five home runs as part of her 23 hits on the season.
 
In all, the Vikings have had nine different players hit a home run in 2021 while AU ranks second in the NSIC with 30.
 
After four dominant pitching performances after last weekend against Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State, Augustana continues to find itself among the league's best. Amber Elliott is 11-1 on the season and has struck out 73 hitters in 74.1 innings pitched. Ashley Mickschl, who has given up just one run over her last 12 innings, is 10-2 with a 2.44 ERA.
 
About the Mustangs
Southwest Minnesota State enters the doubleheader holding a 16-8 overall record and is 7-3 in the NSIC. However, SMSU recently had a six-game winning streak snapped by falling at Winona State this past Sunday. First, the Mustangs fell 2-1 then 5-1 to the 14^th-ranked Warriors.
 
Emma Grote, who has started and played in all 24 games in 20201, leads the team with a .469 batting average while racking up 38 hits, ranking second to the Vikings' Cornick. Kali Tomlinson leads the team with eight home runs and 29 RBI while batting .373.
 
Megan Cull leads the SMSU pitching corps with an 8-2 record and 2.45 ERA. In 60 innings pitched, she has given up 58 hits while striking out 56.
 
Up Next
The Vikings return to the road for a weekend series in North Dakota. First, AU faces Minot State on Saturday with a noon doubleheader. On Sunday, the Vikings begin the trek back to Sioux Falls with a noon doubleheader with UMary in Bismarck, North Dakota.