BEMIDJI, Minn. – Winners of 14-straight games, the Augustana softball team has moved into first place of the NSIC standings after earning a sweep of Bemidji State. The Vikings won game one 6-0 and followed with a 9-3 triumph in game two.
 
Augustana is now 32-13 on the season and 17-1 within the NSIC. Bemidji State falls to 9-30, 3-13.
 
Game One: Augustana 6, Bemidji State 0
Grace Glanzer limited the Beavers to just a pair of hits while the Vikings scored two runs in the first, three in the fourth and another in the sixth for the victory.
 
In the top of the first, Torri Chute doubled into left field to score Andrea Cain. The next hitter, Gracey Brink, carried a sacrifice fly into center field to score Desi Cuevas for the 2-0 lead after one inning.
 
The first run of the fourth was courtesy of Cain as she scored Stella Harber in her at-bat. Kennedy Buckman then hit a single into left field to score Liz Dierks and Cain and the Vikings led 5-0 after four innings.
 
The final run came from the bat of Buckman again as she singled in Cain.
 
As AU was scoring six runs, Glanzer was limiting BSU to just two hits, one walk while striking out six for her 14^th win of 2024. She through 78 pitchers for the complete game shutout.
 
Of Augustana's nine hits, Desi Cuevas and Buckman each recorded two. Cain was 1-for-4 but scored three runs in the game.
 
Game Two: Augustana 9, Bemidji State 3
Bemidji State struck first with a pieced together run in the opening inning. It wasn't until the third inning with the Vikings answered back. Desi Cuevas singled into right field and advanced to third on a base hit by Torri Chute. She then scored on a wild pitch. Chute was pushed across home plate on a single by Ashton Dorman.
 
Chute lifted the score to 3-1 in the top of the fifth as she singled into center field to score Kennedy Buckman. The lead increased to 4-1 in the inning with Stella Harber knocking a single down the left-field line to score Dorman.
 
The home team scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull within a run at 4-3.
 
To stop any hope of a momentum shift, Andrea Cain led off the sixth inning with a home run over the right-field fence to make the score 5-3. Desi Cuevas followed with a double and was able to score on a single by Gracey Brink with the score moving to 6-3.
 
A seventh run in the game was scored in the sixth inning with a single by Ella Cooper down the left-field line to score Brink.
 
Although not needed, Desi Cuevas added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. With Liz Dierks standing on second base, Cuevas hit a home run over the right-center field wall to make the score 9-3.
 
Augustana piled on 17 hits in the contest with four from Cuevas, three from Dorman and two each from three different spots in the lineup.
 
Lexi Lander got the start in the circle and pitched 4.1 innings while allowing five hits and two earned runs. Helene Krage pitched the final 2.2 innings for the save with two strikeouts.
 
Up Next
Augustana heads a little west to face Minnesota Crookston in a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is slated for noon.