MANKATO, Minn. – The Augustana baseball team is in first place of the NSIC after sweeping previous first-place Minnesota State in a three-game set. The series finale was a 5-4 victory Monday at Bowyer Field in Mankato, Minnesota.
 
Augustana moves to 29-14 on the season and 18-5 in the NSIC. Minnesota State, who entered the series alone atop the NSIC standings, falls to 14-5 in the loop and 24-10 overall. Although not officially ranked, the Mavericks do hold a No. 15 national ranking from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
 
All nine runs in the game were scored in the same two innings by both teams as Augustana took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Jack Hines scored on a ball batted into right field by Drey Dirksen which was ruled an error by the right fielder. Dirksen was then pushed across home plate by Tate Meiners as he singled through the right side to score Dirksen.
 
The Mavericks answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 advantage.
 
Meiners knotted the game at 3-3 in the eighth inning as he hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly into center field to score Maddux Baggs. The next hitter, Ragan Pinnow, then utilized small ball as he bunted up the first-base line to score Hines from third base.
 
An insurance run was added by pinch-hitter Joshua Koskie with a double into right-center to score Dirksen and give AU the 5-3 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Minnesota State pushed a run across home plate with a double into left-center but Adam Diedrich got out of the jam and set down the Mavericks in the bottom of the ninth for his eighth save of the season.
 
On the very blustery day, Augustana recorded eight hits with two each from the bats of Hines and Pinnow.
 
The Vikings threw a bullpen day with Tom Sun tossing 3.1 innings to start the game while striking out four and allowing just a single hit. He was replaced by Ashton Michek who then tossed 1.2 innings. Aidan Torpey took over on the bump to toss 2/3 of an inning.
 
The winning pitcher for AU was Gabe Pilla and his 1.1 innings of one-hit ball. Diedrich then pitched the final two innings for the save.
 
Up Next
Augustana will tangle with Sioux Falls under the lights of Ronken Field Wednesday with a doubleheader slated for 5 p.m.