SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The No. 14 Augustana baseball team dropped a pair of NSIC contests against Minnesota Crookston on Saturday afternoon at Ronken Field. AU was the away team in both games due to a site reversal.
The Vikings now hold a 17-6 record overall and are 10-4 in the NSIC, while the Golden Eagles move to 13-11, 7-7
Game One: Minnesota Crookston 9, Augustana 8
The Golden Eagles opened the scoring with a pair of first inning runs. The Vikings responded in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2.
Parker Mooney opened the AU scoring with a two-out solo blast to right field, his second home run of the season.
Nick Banowetz doubled three pitches later to continue applying pressure.
Trevor Winterstein came through to even things up with a single down the right field line, scoring Banowetz.
After UMC reclaimed the lead in the third, the Vikings countered in the top of the fourth.
Drey Dirksen drew a leadoff walk and
Ragan Pinnow followed with one of his own to get a pair on.
Luke Ballweg reached on a fielder's choice that saw Dirksen get out on the bases, and Mooney evened the scoring with a double past an outstretched arm at first base to score Pinnow and tie the game. AU took a 4-3 lead on the next pitch when Banowetz drove home Ballweg on a single to center.
With a tied score at 4-4 in the sixth inning, the Vikings got creative for run production. The inning started with a Mooney walk, Banowetz HBP, strikeout, and a
Joe Kolbeck HBP to load the bases with one away.
After pinch running for Mooney,
Trey Walker came home on a passed ball with
Max Mosser at the plate to take the lead. Banowetz came around on a balk during the same at bat to increase the lead, and the threat continued when Mosser drew a six-pitch walk to put runners on the corners.
Jason Axelberg entered as a pinch runner for Mosser and ended up making a tremendous impact on the basepaths. He stole second to get two in scoring position, and wheeled around from second on a
Jack Hines sac fly to right-center, scoring with Kolbeck to grow the lead to 8-4.
UMC was able to muster a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut its deficit in half and scored three more in the bottom of the seventh to take game one.
Mooney and Banowetz each went 2 for 2 with a walk to lead the offense. Mooney had two RBI, while Banowetz scored two runs and added a stolen base.
Caleb Saari had 8 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings while working a no-decision.
Game Two: Minnesota Crookston 9, Augustana 5
The Vikings plated a pair of runs in the third inning to open the scoring.
Jason Axelberg,
Tate Meiners, and
Nick Banowetz opened the inning with singles to load the bases, and
Max Mosser drew a walk to score Axelberg with nobody out.
Jack Hines reached on a fielder's choice right after to give AU a 2-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles scored seven runs on six hits and an error in the fourth inning to take a 7-2 lead.
Parker Mooney slugged his second home run of the day to lead off the sixth inning and give the Vikings a run back, but UMC responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to grow its lead to 9-3.
Joe Kolbeck singled to the left side in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Hines and get AU within 9-4, and Hines lifted a sac fly in the ninth to score
Trevor Winterstein and bring the game to its final score.
Meiners went 3 for 4 with a run scored, while Mosser added two hits, a walk, and an RBI to lead the offense. The Vikings scattered 11 hits throughout the contest.
Up Next
The Vikings will take on UMary for a four-game set next weekend at Ronken Field.
