MANKATO, Minn. – The Augustana softball team earned a win over No. 15 Minnesota State and also dropped a contest to the Mavericks Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota. Augustana is now 19-6 on the season and 3-1 in the NSIC. Minnesota State is 21-7, 3-1.
 
Gracey Brink had a strong day at the plate, tallying three hits in the doubleheader while Ashley Mickschl picked up her eighth win of the year.
 
Game One: No. 7 Augustana 5, No. 15 Minnesota State 3
After proving to be the only NSIC team to defeat Minnesota State pitcher Mackenzie Ward in 2021, the Vikings have again proven to show the recipe for defeat in the doubleheader's first game.
 
Ashley Mickschl picked up the win in the circle, her eighth of 2022, tossing 5.0 innings while striking out five and giving up five hits. Olivia Hazelbaker earned the save by tossing the final two innings.
 
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, the Vikings got on the scoreboard with a Mary Pardo solo home run.
 
Still in the third inning, Gracey Brink stepped up to the plate and smacked a triple into center field with the bases loaded. The triple scored Delaney Young, Torri Chute and Kennedy Buckman to take a 4-2 lead.
 
A Young home run into deep left field propelled the Vikings' lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning.
 
Although Minnesota State was able to scratch a run across in the bottom of the fifth, the Vikings prevailed with the 5-3 score.
 
The Vikings tallied four hits with one each from Pardo, Young, Buckman and Brink.
 
Game Two: No. 15 Minnesota State 4, No. 7 Augustana 1
The Augustana offense tallied five hits but was unable to push more than one run across the plate in the first NSIC loss of the season.
 
That run came in the fourth inning with the Vikings trailing 1-0. Gracey Brink singled through the left side, scoring Torri Chute who had reached base by a single through the right side.
 
The Mavericks struck back in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead and added a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings for the 4-1 final score. Amber Elliott was charged with just her second loss of 2022 after giving up three runs, just one earned, and four hits.
 
Chute tallied two of the Vikings' five hits while Brink had another two hits. The fifth hit came from Abby Lien.
 
Up Next
Augustana remains in Mankato to face Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday. Game one is slated for 11 a.m.
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