SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 14 Augustana softball team combined to hit 13 home runs over two games en route to a Tuesday sweep over Winona State. The Vikings tied a program record with eight home runs in the opening game in a 13-5 win and followed with a 16-1 win in game two.
 
In addition to tying the team record, Mary Pardo tied the individual single-game record with three home runs in the opening game and followed with another one in the second contest for a four-home run day. Both Torri Chute and Gracey Brink hit three home runs over the two games.
 
With the wins, Augustana moves to 22-7 on the season and 6-2 in the NSIC. Winona State falls to 18-10, 4-2.
 
Game One: No. 14 Augustana 13, Winona State 5
The Vikings actually trailed 1-0 in the opening game after the Warriors strung together a couple of base runners to take the brief 1-0 lead. However, Augustana then hit eight home runs as part of 14 total hits to not only win, but take a run-rule six-inning victory.
 
Mary Pardo hit a leadoff home run to left-center field. Torri Chute followed with a homer into center field. Kennedy Buckman added a solo home run in the second inning to push AU's lead to 3-1.
 
Pardo hit her second home run of the game with a two-run shot into left-center in the fourth inning.
 
Winona State answered in the fifth with four runs to knot the game at 5-5. From there, the Vikings reeled off eight-straight runs over the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to capture the win.
 
The lone run to not come from a home run was an RBI by Delaney Young, scoring Bergen Lindner. Brink then homered twice while Pardo added her third and Chute her second home run of the game to take the win. Brink's second home run was a game-ending two-run four-base hit.
 
Pardo's three home runs join Morgan Beaner, Kelsey Kalkman, Theresa McMahon and Caitlin Nichol as Vikings to hit a trio of long shots in a single game. The eight total home runs join the Vikings game from April 26, 2012, against Northern State for most in a single game.
 
The Vikings tallied 14 hits with three each from Pardo, Chute and Young. Olivia Hazelbaker pitched the final 1.1 innings to move to 3-1 on the season.
 
Game Two: No. 14 Augustana 16, Winona State 1
Unlike the first game where the game was still in doubt in the fifth inning, Augustana ran off 15-straight runs to control the contest from start to finish.
 
The game opened with a home run off the bat of Abby Lien, scoring Liz Dierks. In the second inning, Mary Pardo connected on a grand slam to give AU a 6-0 advantage. The ball landed on the outside of the second fence reading 275 feet, traveling nearly 300 feet in the process.
 
After home runs from Torri Chute and Amanda Dickmeyer, the Vikings then played small ball to score three runs in the third inning. Bergen Lindner and Abby Lien each picked up RBI singles while Delaney Young had an RBI fielder's choice as AU took a 12-0 lead.
 
The third inning ended with the Viking leading 15-0 after a Brink three-run home run into left field.
 
Winona State scored a run in the fourth inning, but the damage had been done as the Vikings rolled to the 16-1 win. Taylor Bross singled in the final run of the game in the fourth inning as Amber Elliott picked up her eighth win of 2022, allowing just one hit in 3.1 innings pitched. Hailey Houston threw the final 1.2 innings, striking out two and allowing two hits.
 
Augustana totaled 15 hits in the route as Lien led the way with a 3-for-3 day, scoring three runs and tallying three RBI.
 
Up Next
The Vikings welcome UMary to Sioux Falls on Saturday with a doubleheader slated for noon and 2 p.m. The following day, AU hosts Minot State, again with noon and 2 p.m. start times.
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