SIOUX FALLS, S.D–Augustana baseball defeated the Sioux Falls Cougars in a doubleheader on Sunday, 2-0 and 12-4. The Vikings overall record improves to 38-7-1 and 28-4 in conference action. Sioux Falls drops to 24-23 overall and 16-16 in NSIC play.

The doubleheader served as Senior Day for Augustana with a celebration between games. 

Game One: Augustana 2, Sioux Falls 0

Senior Tanner Brown started game one of the doubleheader on the mound, where he stayed for 6.1 innings. He struck out 13 of the 20 batters that he faced to earn the win. His record improves to 7-0 this season and the win marks the 23rd of his career, just two wins shy of breaking the all-time pitching wins record. In the seventh inning, Caleb Kranz took over and recorded one strikeout and faced two batters to close out the game and earn the save. 

Brown was instrumental in the win, holding the Cougars to just two hits across seven innings. 

The Vikings were off to an early lead in the first inning after a solo homer from Jordan Barth. Barth launched the ball over the fence in left field to put the Vikings up 1-0.

In the fifth inning, it was a sacrifice fly to left field from Drey Dirksen that scored JT Mix to seal the win. Mix reached base earlier in the inning with a single to center field.

At the plate, Barth led the Vikings with two hits. Jaxon Rosencranx and Mix logged one hit each. Barth and Dirksen tallied one RBI each in the victory.

Game Two: Augustana 12, Sioux Falls 4

Caleb Saari was the game two starter for AU and earned the win. Saari logged five strikeouts and spent six innings on the mound. Caleb Kranz entered the game in the seventh inning, tallying two strikeouts. Adam Diedrich replaced Kranz and struck out one batter. In the eighth inning, Tony Lanier entered and struck out four batters to earn the save. 

In the first inning, Will Olson plated Jordan Barth with a high-ball hit to right field. The Cougars' second baseman made an attempt to catch the fly ball but was unable to make the catch and Olson reached second base. 

Augustana's lead increased to 2-0 when Jack Hines tripled to center field and brought home Olson.

Sioux Falls tied it up in the top of the third inning after a home run that scored two.

The Vikings re-took the lead in the bottom of the third inning when Hines singled up the middle to score Olson for the second time in the game.

Jaxon Rosencranz increased Augustana's lead in the fourth inning with a solo homer that was hit deep over the left field fence. Rosencranz's home run was his seventh of the season to give the Vikings a 4-2 lead.

Jordan Barth plated Carter Howell in the fifth inning to put the Vikings up by three runs. Barth singled to the shortstop and advanced to second after the hard-hit ball bounced off of the shortstop's foot and rolled into center field.

Augustana added another run to the board in the fifth inning when JT Mix singled up the middle to bring Jack Hines in to score and push the lead to 6-2.

In the sixth inning, Ben Ihrke was plated by Max Mosser after a single that went up the middle. Howell scored on a single from Barth to increase AU's lead to 8-2.

Another two-run homer for USF added two runs to the board in the top of the eighth inning to make it an 8-4 game.

Mitch Stroh went yard for the first time this season, scoring Jason Axelberg to put the Vikings up 10-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning. The home run is Stroh's third of his career at Augustana.

Mix singled to right field with the bases loaded, plating Howell and pushing the score to 11-4. Rosencranz stepped up to the plate after Mix and hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Barth. 

Stroh, Hines, Mix, and Rosencranz each logged two RBI. Barth led the Vikings with three hits and 10 batters for AU recorded at least one hit in the nine-inning win.

Up Next

Augustana will look for the series sweep against Sioux Falls on Monday at Ronken Field for the third game of the series. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

–GoAugie.com–