HOUSTON–Augustana baseball added another win on Sunday after defeating No. 3 Central Missouri with a final score of 6-5. Augustana secured the win by scoring the winning run in the ninth inning. The Vikings finish the 2022 Houston Winter Invitational 2-1 with wins over Arkansas Monticello and the third-ranked Mules of Central Missouri.

Jed Schmidt started the game on the mound for Augustana, logging four strikeouts and pitching 3.2 innings. 

Seven pitchers saw time on the mound for Augustana during the game and every one recorded at least one strikeout. Tony Lanier, Caleb Saari, Josh Olson, Thomas Bruss, Jason Axelberg and Adam Diedrich were on the mound for the matchup.

Augustana got off to an early lead in the first inning when Carter Howell scored. Howell reached base on a leadoff double and stole third base. He scored on a passed ball.

For the second-straight inning, the Vikings got a leadoff double in the top of the second. Tony Lanier doubled into left field and scored on an RBI double by Jack Hines on the very next at-bat. An error by the Central Missouri center fielder saw Hines bump the lead to 3-0. 

Central Missouri tied the game up in the fourth inning and was able to push past the Vikings with two runs in the fifth. 

In the top of the seventh, Howell hit a single to the shortstop and Joshua Koskie ran home to pull the Vikings within a run. Koskie reached base in his collegiate debut by drawing a walk, then advanced to second and third bases via wild pitches 

Hines was able to tie the game at five after JT Mix recorded his first RBI of the game.

Jason Axelberg scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning after being sent to first base when hit by a pitch. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch, then went to third base during Jordan Barth's at-bat. 

Mix picked up the game-winning RBI on a single into right field, scoring Axelberg. 

Diedrich then came on in the bottom of the ninth and shut down the side in a 1-2-3 inning to upset Central Missouri with a pair of strikeouts.

Axelberg, who scored the game-winning run, was also awarded the win on the mound, the first of his career.

Augustana improves to 2-1 overall and Central Missouri drops to 2-2. 

Up Next

The Vikings return to the field in Lakeland, Florida, on March 5 for a series with Florida Southern.

–GoAugie.com–