MAGNOLIA, Ark.-- The NSIC regular season champion Augustana baseball team closed out its season on Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Super Regional after falling in game two of the best-of-three series, 13-11. The Vikings fell short in game one and were looking to force a third game with a win, but were unable to shut down Southern Arkansas. 

The Vikings concluded their season with a 47-13-1 record and saw many individual and team records fall throughout the 61-games. Augustana set team records for strikeouts and home runs in 2022.

Carter Howell launched a pair of home runs in the game to bring his season total to 17 which tied the Augustana school record for home runs in a season. 

Tanner Brown started the game for Augustana and spent seven innings on the hill, striking out seven batters to conclude his career with 301 strikeouts, easily a school record. Evan Furst entered the game in the eighth inning and spent 1.2 innings on the mound. Thomas Bruss and Caleb Saari also spent time on the mound during the game. 

Southern Arkansas started the game with an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Muleriders pushed their lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a home run to right field and a runner stealing home.

A two-run homer from Howell brought Ben Ihrke in to score and the Vikings were able to cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning. 

A single to center allowed SAU to increase the lead by a run to make it 4-2 in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, a JT Mix single sent Jack Hines home and Augustana was within one run once again.

It was all AU in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take its first lead of the game. First it was Howell with another two-run home run, scoring Ihrke. Then, a single from Hines plated Jordan Barth. The final run of the inning was scored when Hines ran home on a fielder's choice that allowed Jaxon Rosencranz to reach first base. 

Rosencranz singled through to the left side to bring home Will Olson in the seventh inning, pushing Augustana's lead to four runs. With the bases loaded, Luke Ballweg drew a walk that brought JT Mix home. The Vikings led by five runs after the seventh inning. 

Two runs in the top of the eighth inning brought SAU closer to closing the gap.

Olson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning and Augustana led 11-6 heading into the ninth. The home run was the 16th of the year for Olson.

Southern Arkansas scored seven runs in the top of the ninth inning and Augustana was unable to rally to reclaim the lead. 

Barth and Mix logged three hits each. Hines, Howell and Ihrke each tallied two hits. Howell also led the Vikings with four RBI. Howell's aforementioned 17th home run tied him with Kris Ashland for the most home runs in a single season. 

–GoAugie.com–