DENVER – The Augustana softball team staved off elimination Saturday with a 13-2 romping of Grand Valley State at the NCAA Championship in Denver, Colorado. Augustana will now face West Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. (CT) Saturday in another must-win game.
 
The Vikings jumped out to a quick start, scoring two runs in the first, four in the second and four in the third for a commanding 10-0 lead just three innings into the contest. After Grand Valley State knocked in two runs in the bottom of the fourth, AU answered back with three more runs in the fifth for a 13-2 lead, which proved to be the final score in the run-rule victory.
 
Torri Chute went 4-for-4 at the plate with six RBI while the Vikings racked up 17 total hits. Abbie Lund totaled three hits while Gracey Brink was 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.
 
Chute ended a triple shy of the cycle with her 17^th double and 10^th home run of the season. Her RBI total on the season is now at 66.
 
Amber Elliott earned her 21^st win of the season in the circle and now owns a 21-2 overall mark. Grand Valley State's starting pitcher, Hannah Beatus, entered the game with a 0.98 ERA but saw that balloon to 1.67 after the contest where her record fell to 25-4.
 
Augustana's overall record is now 49-7 while GVSU, the three seed in the tournament, concludes its season at 45-10.
 
Augustana now faces West Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. (CT). In the double-elimination format, the Vikings need to win tonight and also pick up a victory Sunday over the Buffs to advance to the Championship Series. Due to forecasted weather, stay tuned to the @GoAugie social media channels for a change in start time.