COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa–The Augustana baseball team split against St. Cloud State on Saturday afternoon, dropping game one 8-3 but bouncing back to capture a 5-2 win in the series finale. The Vikings were able to snap the Huskies' eight-game winning streak and avoid the sweep in game two. AU's record moves to 16-12 overall and 5-3 in the loop. SCSU now holds an overall record of 12-8 and 4-1 in the NSIC.

Game One: St. Cloud State 8, Augustana 3
St. Cloud State picked up the early lead, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Huskies kept it rolling into the fifth inning, taking a 7-0 lead. 

Augustana saw its first run scored in the top of the sixth inning when Nick Banowetz scored on a Jack Hines single. Banowetz reached base previously on a triple. Hines ran home and contributed another run for AU following Luke Ballweg's fly ball that dropped in front of a few Huskies in the outfield. Closing out the scoring for Augustana was Drey Dirksen, tallying a run on a sacrifice fly ball to left field by Tate Meiners.

Banowetz went 2-for-3 with two triples and a run. Dirksen also went 2-for-3 at the plate with one double and a run. Meiners also recorded a double in the seven-inning affair.

Ryan Jares started the game on the hill for the Vikings, pitching one inning. Kai Taylor entered the game in the second inning and struck out three batters. In the fourth inning, Gabe Pilla took over for Taylor and spent 1.2 innings on the mound. 

Game Two: Augustana 5, St. Cloud State 2
The Vikings were the first team on the scoreboard in this matchup, getting off to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. A double down the left-field line from Nick Banowetz plated Trevor Winterstein to get Augustana on the scoreboard. Winterstein was waiting on third base after a triple to right center.

With Banowetz on second, Drey Dirksen hit a ground ball to the Huskies third baseman. Banowetz dodged the tag and was called safe on third, scoring on a wild pitch shortly after. 

In the sixth inning, Meiners knocked down a double down the left-field line, scoring Maddux Baggs and pushing Augustana's lead to 3-0. 

Trey Walker entered the game to pinch run for Sam Siegel in the seventh inning. Ragan Pinnow doubled to left field, allowing Walker to score a run. 

A single from Hines plated Meiners in the eighth inning, increasing the Vikings' lead to 5-0 over the Huskies. 

St. Cloud State logged two runs in the eighth inning.

At the plate, Banowetz led the team with four hits, one RBI and a run. Hines went 3-for-4 with one RBI.

On the hill to start game two was Seth Miller who spent seven innings in the matchup, recording five strikeouts and holding SCSU to just two hits. Ashton Michek and Adam Diedrich also pitched for the Vikings and totaled a combined two strikeouts. 

Up Next
Augustana hosts Minnesota Duluth in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday at Ronken Field. Game one is slated for 1:30 p.m. Stay tuned to GoAugie.com and the @AugieBaseball social channels for updates on the series. 

–GoAugie.com–