LAKELAND, Fla.--Augustana baseball was victorious in the first doubleheader of the season against Florida Southern on Saturday. The afternoon doubleheader marked the start of the nine-game annual spring trip to Florida. Augustana moves to 4-1 on the season and finishes the series against Florida Southern on Sunday. 

Game 1: Augustana 7, Florida Southern 6
Thomas Bruss was the first pitcher on the mound for Augustana. Bruss pitched a single inning and faced six batters. 

Taking over for Bruss in the second inning was Tanner Brown. Brown saw 5.1 innings of action and logged four strikeouts. Adam Diedrich was the third pitcher for AU to see time on the field, pitching 1.2 innings. Seth Miller pitched the final inning of the game and was able to record two strikeouts, helping the Vikings hold on for the victory. Diedreich earned the win for Augustana while Miller recorded the save.

It was Florida Southern that started the scoring in the first inning, but Augustana was able to tie the game in the third when Luke Ballweg ran home after Carter Howell sent one to right field for the sacrifice fly. The Mocs re-took the lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Augustana pulled away, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth inning. The scoring started when a single from Ballweg allowed Jaxon Rosencranz to head home. Tony Lanier tallied the third run of the game for the Vikings off of a hit from Trevor Winterstein. 

A single from Carter Howell allowed Jack Hines to score and put the Vikings up by one. Augustana extended the lead to 5-3 when Winterstein scored from an RBI from Jordan Barth.

Florida Southern scored runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 5-5.

The Vikings used ninth inning runs to push the lead, which eventually held for the win. Olson hit a single in the top of the ninth inning and sent J.T. Mix home and the Vikings had the lead. Olson then scored the final run of the game for Augustana, crossing home plate on a failed pickoff attempt.

Olson, Lanier and Ballweg led Augustana with two hits each in the nine-inning contest.

Game Two: Augustana 6, Florida Southern 3
It was Ryan Jares starting on the mound for the Vikings in the second game. Jares faced 26 batters and logged five strikeouts in the six innings that he pitched to earn the victory on the mound.Josh Olson took over on the mound for Augustana in the seventh for the final inning in the win.

For the second-straight game, it was the Mocs scoring first before the Vikings' offense took over.

Augustana had a busy third inning, scoring five runs to take a huge lead early in the game. Howell scored the first run for the Vikings after a single to the left side by Jordan Barth. Not long after, Olson connected on a single to left field that allowed Barth to score. 

The Vikings added another run to the board with the bases loaded when Drey Dirksen was walked to lead 3-1. Jack Hines sent one up the middle letting Lanier and Olson score for AU to lead 5-1.

Florida Southern scored in the bottom of the fourth inning to shorten Augustana's lead to 5-2.

In the top of the sixth inning, Mix sent Barth across home plate with a single to left field, moving the score to 6-2. The Mocs added another run with the bases loaded in the final frame, but it wasn't enough and the Vikings earned the win.

Barth and Howell led the team with three hits each in game two. Howell saw his line go 3-for-3 while Barth was 3-for-4 as part of the Vikings' 12 hits. For RBIs, it was Jack Hines that tallied two in AU's victory.

Up Next
The Vikings are back in action against Florida Southern on Sunday at noon.

–GoAugie.com–