CONROE, Texas – The No. 2 Augustana softball team closed out the Arkansas Tech Winter Invite with a game one win over Southeastern Oklahoma, 7-2, and a game two loss to Arkansas Tech, 6-3.
 
The Vikings close the first seven games of the season with a 4-3 record as SEOK and ATU are both 1-2.
 
The Vikings saw a pair of RBI triples over the two games, one from Abby Lien and one from Mary Pardo as highlights on the day, along with Makayla Williams earning her first-career win.
 
Game One: No. 2 Augustana 7, Southeastern Oklahoma 2
Makayla Williams earned her first win in the circle by throwing six innings of four-hit ball. Hailey Houston made her collegiate debut in the seventh inning, inducing three groundouts as Augustana claimed the 7-2 win.
 
The Vikings fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but used a six-run outburst in the third inning to take the lead, a lead that would not be relinquished.
 
With Liz Dierks batting, she reached base via error but allowed Abbie Lund and Kennedy Buckman to each score. After a walk to Delaney Young, Torri Chute singled into left field scoring Dierks to give Augustana the lead at 3-2.  
 
Augustana took the lead as Abby Lien tripled into left field scoring Young and Chute. The triple was the first of Lien's career at Augustana.
 
To make the score 6-3, Gracey Brink hit a single, also into left field, to score Lien.
 
The final run of the game came on a single from Buckman, scoring Chute who was standing on third base.
 
The Vikings racked up 11 hits to score the seven runs with Lien going 3-for-4 with the triple. Chute and Buckman also recorded a multi-hit game as the duo each had a pair of hits.
 
Game Two: Arkansas Tech 6, No. 2 Augustana 3
It was a back-and-forth game as the Vikings fell behind 1-0, took a 3-1 lead but then fell behind 4-3 before falling 6-3.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the top of fifth, Becca Koupal was standing on second base after pinch-running for Nicole Bellis, Mary Pardo tripled into right-center field, allowing Koupal to round third base and touch home plate.
 
The very next batter, Liz Dierks, singled into left field as she picked up the RBI with Pardo crossing home plate. To make it three-straight at-bats with a run scored, Delaney Young singled into right field to score Dierks and take the 3-1 lead.
 
However, Arkansas Tech scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and eventually prevailed 6-3.
 
The Vikings totaled seven hits with Pardo going 2-for-4.
 
Amber Elliott got the start for AU, tossing three innings and striking out three. Olivia Hazelbaker pitched an inning of relief and was charged with the loss. Mikayla Williams threw the final two innings in the circle.
 
Up Next
Augustana now has nearly a month off before returning to action March 5 at Northwest Missouri State. The doubleheader will jumpstart Spring Break for AU as the Vikings will play 10 games in Florida from March 8-13.
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