WINONA, Minn. – Drey Dirksen made history Saturday as he belted home run No. 50 of his career at Winona State as Augustana swept the day by scores of 13-6 and 5-2.
 
Augustana is now 26-6 on the season and 18-4 in the NSIC. Winona State falls to 13-21, 10-14.
 
Game One: Augustana 13, Winona State 6
After allowing four runs in the opening frame, pitcher Caleb Saari settled in and let the offense get to work. That included three runs in the top of the second. Parker Mooney doubled in Drey Dirksen for the Vikings' first run of the game. Joe Kolbeck then singled into right field to score Mooney.
 
The final run for AU in the second inning was a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Nick Banowetz to pull AU within a run at 4-3.
 
Augustana then took the lead in the fourth inning as Jack Hines singled up the middle to score Trevor Winterstein and Tate Meiners. Dirksen followed with a double into left field to score Hines and the Vikings seized control at 6-4. Still in the fourth, the lead grew to 8-4 as Max Mosser reached base on an error in left field to score Luke Ballweg and Drey Dirksen.
 
The Vikings continued to put runs on the scoreboard in the fifth inning as Banowetz singled in Winterstein. Hines then singled into center field to score Banotwetz. The final two runs in the frame came from a bases-loaded walk by Ryan Clementi and a single by Jason Axelberg.
 
The final run of the game for AU was from an error by the pitcher when his pick-off attempt hit the helmet of Sam Siegel and drifted into the outfield. Siegel promptly went from second, touched third and went across home plate.
 
Saari tossed 4.2 innings of five-hit ball while striking out eight. Kai Taylor pitched the final 2.1 innings not allowing a hit.
 
Augustana racked up 17 hits in the game led by three from Winterstein while Hines, Dirksen, Mosser and Kolbeck each recorded a pair of hits.
 
Game Two: Augustana 5, Winona State 2
Trailing 2-0, Drey Dirksen came up to bat in the top of the fourth. After taking a strike, he watched two balls get pitched. After fouling a pitch off, he belted a home run over the left-field fence that marked No. 50 of his career at Augustana.
 
The previous record was held by Nate Baumann with 49 home runs from 2008-11.
 
With momentum behind the Vikings Max Mosser doubled to right center and advanced to third base on a flyout by Sam Siegel. He jumped on the opportunity of a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2.
 
In the fifth inning, Jack Hines lifted the score to 4-2 with his 15^th home run of the season. Nick Banowetz, who was on base after a single, allowed it to be a two-run home run for the 4-2 lead.
 
A double by Max Mosser in the eighth scored Banowetz to push the score to 5-2. Banowetz was on base after drawing a five-pitch walk then promptly stole second base.
 
Ashton Michek, who added another pick off to his ledger Saturday, pitched 6.2 innings and allowed six hits while striking out six. He was the winning pitcher on his birthday to earn his fifth win of 2024. Will Henry tossed the final 2.1 innings for the save.
 
Augustana and Winona State tangle for the final game of the three-game set on Sunday at noon.